Even If She Falls
by Vlad Taltos
Summary: After summer is restored to Arendelle and the gates are opened for good, not everything is happily-ever-after. Elsa's anxiety is better with Anna's support, but running a Kingdom can make anyone stressed: An onslaught of unwanted suitors. The chance of war with the Southern Isles. So many frustrating Council meetings. Waking up naked in a blacksmith's forge. ElsaXOC, KristoffXAnna
1. Love To Burn

**AN: **Mature content will be appropriately marked. Story context and description in bio.

**Update:** I first titled this chapter "It's Not Easy Being Queen" because I couldn't think of anything better. I thought of something better. It's now "Love To Burn" because of the song of the same name by Neil Young and Crazy Horse. Sorry for any confusion. Also, thank you to the 10 followers and 5 favorites.

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: Love To Burn<br>**

"Elsa, what's wrong? Is it the work? Do. . . do you want to talk about it?"

It was a week since Hans' plot had been foiled, since she had restored summer to Arendelle and the castle gates had been opened for good, and nothing had changed. The anxiety, the pressure to fit nicely into a role that wasn't quite her size, it had all been looming in the shadows since the reality of being Queen set in. It hadn't just gone away.

Nothing had changed. . . yet everything was different. This was a new room, the Office of the Chamberlain, one that was built entirely of hardwood and duty. Of all the empty rooms in the castle, Elsa chose this one because of the impressive desk here that she could use for her myriad responsibilities. The desk was now littered with official documents; treaties that had accumulated for the past three years that the Steward hadn't the authority to sign. Arendelle's international relations had been nothing but one stoic message about the King and Queen's passing followed by silence. It had taken Elsa the week just to get through the backlog, soon gritty negotiation terms would be returning.

But nevertheless, Anna had portioned off a spot for herself so they could spend time together, balancing out the dire feel of the Office of the Chamberlain. Although the redhead was far too restless to stay still for the amount of time required by the work, when the sun set and Kristoff was on his way home and the Castle was preparing for bed the young woman would settle into the high-backed green chair in the corner and imply that she might be doing something productive.

Elsa couldn't blame her. Especially as she rested her forehead on two balled fists and Anna's words reached her; she was reminded that her sister _was_ there. That was a welcome change, and it made all the difference. She was in the same room, not on the other side of a door. She was within sight, able to notice the tension in Elsa's back and the chill in the air.

"No, it's not the work. I finished this an hour ago. I-" Elsa started, cutting herself off.

"It's okay, I'm here."

"It's the ball," Elsa said with a concerted effort. She turned away, looking into fireplace along the wall. Verbalizing her emotions would take some getting used to. It was almost as unusual as letting the streams of magic vent from between the fingers of her clenched fists. It lost all form and trailed to harmless steam in the contrasting heat of the hearth. "I- I don't like. . . anticipating it. It's agony to wait. I wish the damned thing would just happen already."

She heard Anna come around the desk behind her. A hand fell across her left shoulder. Not very long ago she would have flinched away. As it was, the touch warmed her in ways the fireplace couldn't. "It's not going to be like last time. Remember when we said we wished these parties could happen more often? Now they can. And there won't be anything to hide, so it won't- end badly. Everyone knows about your powers, and that's okay." When she didn't respond Anna continued, "You aren't worried about the magic, are you?"

"No. . . well, yes. But I think I have that under control enough to be around people. It's. . . the people."

"Oh, but the people are fun Elsa!" Anna said, coming around in front of her older sister with a smile. "There was this mountain guide that came a few days ago and Kristoff got all flustered at him. They had the funniest argument about which game trails are best."

"Yes, but sometimes I just tire of the crowds, and being held there by some social obligation. I know I can't escape and that's when I wish I could just get away. Just run off to the ice palace. Find some peace and solitude for a while."

"Oh."

Elsa stopped, wondering how Anna might have heard that. "No, Anna, I don't mean away from you. I love you. It's just that I have- _we _have been on our own for so long, it can get overwhelming."

The smile returned to Anna's face and she moved in to hug her sister. Elsa squeezed back. "Don't worry. If you really need it, Kristoff and I will be there to cause a distraction for you to slip away for a few minutes. How about that?"

_Kristoff and I. _A new fear reared its ugly head. It was one that had been present all along, but up until now it had been pushed aside by the problems her magic caused her. This didn't have the same bite to it, though. Either it was just feeble in comparison, or else Elsa was starting to feel more comfortable with the emotion and its management, but as soon as it dawned on her she shared it with her sister.

"Also all my suitors will be there."

* * *

><p>The ballroom was packed. Anna managed to be even less prepared this time, stepping on more than a few toes and exchanging elbows to belatedly reach her place. Since people started arriving and mingling hours before the ball actually started she had been socializing long before her official entrance. There were people to talk to. Conventions be damned.<p>

As the herald stepped away and the rhythm of the party recovered from the brief stutter, the two sisters had a few moments to themselves.

"You know some of the lords and ladies are gossiping about the decorations. Do you understand how _expensive_ ice sculptures are?" It was so unexpected Elsa snorted with laughter before quickly putting a hand to her face. "Yes, they're wondering if they will be the new style in the other kingdoms."

"That's good to hear. Hopefully we'll get some free negotiation power out of everything that's happened."

"Pfft. It's a party, Elsa. Now that Weasel-Duke is gone there's nobody here thinking about negotiation power. In _fact_, most of the guys are thinking about how attractive the new Queen is. . ." Anna trailed off suggestively. She was trying to help, that was obvious. But Elsa was of a different mindset when it came to that; she'd rather not be in the spotlight at all.

"If you knew what people thought, I would take that as fact."

"Well I just assume that's what they're thinking about. A person usually has to think about something to talk about it with their friends." The facade broke then, just for a moment. It was enough for Anna to notice. "Dammit, I'm not helping, am I? I'm sorry."

"It's alright. The sentiment was enough." A suitor was approaching, so she didn't have time to reassure Anna as much as would have liked. Elsa recognized his colors, white and burgundy, and a wealth of information aligned itself in her mind. Tutors in statecraft, as well as most of the subjects appropriate for young royalty, had been of the few staff allowed after the gates were closed.

"Queen Elsa. I am Prince Viktor, of Kvenland."

_Eldest son of seven; Kvenland already an ally; smaller and weaker than Arendelle by half; not viable._

"Hello Prince Viktor. It is an honor to host you here in the castle. Are your brothers present?"

"Yes, they are." He flashed bright teeth at her. "Although I don't know why my father the King decided upon sending all of his sons on a diplomatic mission such as this. It would have been more efficient to send one. May I have your first dance of the night?"

Elsa looked at Anna, who was busy backing away. The moment they made eye contact she said, "Oh look there's Kristoff!" and was gone. It was obvious she wasn't going to fall for that again.

The Queen turned her attention back to Prince Viktor, who was busy prostrating himself with a gloved hand outstretched and awaiting hers. "I would, but. . . well you may have heard of the powers I have. I'm not sure if it would be in your best interest."

His voice changed, losing a bit of his formality. If she had to name it the word she would have used was 'sly'."Yes, I've heard rumors that your touch is magical. Will my gloves not suffice to protect me? If you aren't sure, I'd be willing to take that chance. Few who live today have danced with such a unique woman, nor one as beautiful as you."

Elsa had no idea how to respond. An odd feeling in the pit of her stomach started to bubble, but all the colors of his attire bespoke _unworthy_.

After a moment she said, "I didn't pay much attention in my dancing lessons, unfortunately." There hadn't been any dancing lessons, all the subjects that required contact with other people had been forgone.

"I can be patient."

No more courtesies or excuses came to mind. Taking Prince Viktor's hand, Queen Elsa realized it was going to be a long night.

* * *

><p>"Anna, can we talk?"<p>

They were in the Office of the Chamberlain again, a day after the ball. In hindsight the event had gone well, though Elsa had felt conflicted throughout it. There had been a line of suitors ready and willing to brave her touch, and the night had been a procession of Counts, Dukes, Archdukes, and _Princes_, oh so many Princes.

Their dancing prowess or lack thereof was the first thing she noticed. Without any herself, if they couldn't quickly adapt it was a stumbling mess. Whenever that occurred she would offer to sit down and talk, and they would until the next song started and another suitor would come asking to dance again.

Some could be charming when she bothered to look past their far too immaculate self-assurance. Viktor had been one such candidate. Some were not as charming, just simply pigheaded. That had been a tall, dashing Archduke named Yolout from Denmark. Very influential, if a tad older than she would have preferred. His family was wealthy enough for his hand in marriage to be more valuable than half of the princes waiting on her, if she were to judge only by gold. Some were nervous. Elsa would have thought the lack of pomp would be welcome, but their attitudes put her on edge in a different way. It was an awkward uncomfortable, as opposed to a defensive uncomfortable.

But the whole time her facts and figures were running through her head. Each one's family, their prestige, their country's relations with Arendelle and with her allies and with past enemies and everything that she knew about _the country they represented_.

Only one had managed to get her to forget the purpose of the interaction for a while. Dancing slowly and stiffly so he didn't make a mistake, Oakir of Kvenland had been one of the nervous suitors. He didn't have a carefully crafted smile to present to her. But he also didn't wait through the silence like the most timid ones. He and Elsa started off slowly, and somehow strayed to the topic of monks, and how they always seemed so peaceful. That kind of serenity was something that they both found they wanted.

Then the song ended and another goddamn suitor was asking for her hand and the war the new one's grandfather had started a hundred years ago with an ally came to mind.

Since then, as she reflected on that night's events, it got her more and more worked up. Finally, when the snow was a few inches deep in the Office of the Chamberlain, she decided to go out on a limb and talk about it.

"Anna? Did you hear me? I asked if we could talk?"

At the sound of Elsa's voice the redhead jumped up. She had fallen asleep face-down on the edge of the desk to Elsa's left, but unlike any other time it seemed she was awake in an instant. But that might have been the cold.

"What? Yes! I'm here. Just let me- sorry," Anna said as she pulled hair out of her mouth.

Elsa could not help but smile. Anna was always able to make her smile, even when she was just being Anna. "Well I- it's the. . ." There was a moment of silence before she could push through and say, "I don't really like any of the suitors."

"Oh. Well that's okay. That's why we, like, sort through them an stuff."

"No, I mean that's the problem. I feel like I might like some of them, or not I don't know but this whole picking thing is messing it up." Her sister's brow furrowed in thought. "I mean there are too many things to think about. Some of them are much more valuable when you consider improving the relationship with their country, or building up our own influence, so that's a start. But I can't just tell all the ones from lesser houses to go away, that would be rude. But aren't I wasting my time and theirs by entertaining them?"

"Elsa, what do _you_ want? You're only talking about what is best for Arendelle."

"Isn't that most important?" Anna opened her mouth to respond but her protest was unneeded. "No, you're right. I mean, that's, well, the bigger part. I'm going to be spending the rest of my life with this person. Once I start seeing past the emblems on their tunics, what qualities do I even look for? How am I supposed to handle a situation like that?"

"It's alright. Calm down." She looked around and noticed it was snowing. Again. The wisps that had been coming off her palms had turned into two weak beams, coating the desk and papers with a slowly expanding sheen of ice.

Elsa closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She could not feel the magic when it escaped her hands, only see it and feel the temperature change. That's one reason why it was so dangerous, and why she could not tell when it stopped. That gust of wind, was it from the window or from her? Another deep breath.

When Anna's warm arms circled around her shoulders she knew it was over. "Sorry. I didn't. . . think it could get out of control that quickly."

"It's okay. We're fine, aren't we?" Anna said, smiling as she let go of her sister. "Okay, here's what I think. Don't take this the wrong way, but maybe you need a Hans." For a moment Elsa did not register the name. Then slowly snowflakes began to form in the air again. "No, it's okay! Hear me out! I made a mistake trusting Hans. We both know that. But. . . no one gets anything on the first try, right? I'm lucky that I got it on the second.

"It sounds to me like the pressure of only having one shot at something important is what's getting you. I understand that. I thought I was going to face the same thing before a certain sister of mine let me off the hook by giving a certain someone some made-up title." They both smiled at that. It was only after Anna asked about Kristoff's new position that Elsa had explained the nuances of the decision. Now a titled member of the nobility, he was legally a suitable husband for a princess, should they chose to marry. _In the future. _"What I'm saying is maybe you should forget about the suitors for a while and just. . . just talk. With, like-"

"A man?" Elsa asked.

"Uh, yeah I guess, but-"

"But what?" The rush she had felt a moment ago had the legs kicked out from underneath it.

"Nothing, it's just that expression. Suddenly you looked. . . saucy."

Elsa giggled and her confidence returned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know! I can't really explain."

"That's okay. Yeah, I guess that's another thing. I wasn't really looking at them as. . . _men_. Just as diplomats. Diplomats that were. . . considering the castle as a possible embassy here, or something."

Anna gaffed. "What? What does _that_ even mean?

"I don't know!" she laughed back.

A moment passed, and a seriousness crept into Anna's voice. "You know, Elsa, because you're Queen now. . . you can get away with quite a lot."

"I'm not sure what you mean. Now that I'm Queen I need to keep from 'getting away' with anything. How I act reflects on Arendelle."

Anna's eyes were wide with compassion and honesty. It was the only thing that kept her words from sounding like conceit. "Isn't that a bit naive? No one's perfect. Not even royalty. It's okay to make mistakes. You know the lines that people put around us that we're not supposed to cross. But if there's something on the other side, maybe some experience that we want, or even _need_, well. . . what people don't know won't hurt them."

"Anna, I understand your point in general, although I disagree with most of it. But my question is how is this relevant to the conversation?"

"Well," she laughed once, "with all the talk I overheard at the ball, not all of the m. . ." Anna trailed off mid-sentence, then said, "Yeah, I don't know where I was going with that. Yep! So that's that, right?" She hoped out of her chair, a huge grin on her face. "We're good here?"

"Yeah, I think so. What's up with you?" Anna was now pacing excitedly around the room.

"Oh, nothing. Just happy for, you know, stuff. We don't have a door between us, and the kingdom's happy, and you're getting things off your chest and I'm helping and yep. Good times in Arendelle. Well I'm off to bed."

Elsa contracted the infectious grin, but tried to dredge up some authority with which to call after her sister. "Wait! What are you up to?" It turned silly at her sister's antics, as Anna bolted for the door. "Anna get back here I'm the Queen goddammit!"

The laughter from down the hall was her only answer. With a smile and a sigh, Elsa put her things away, thawed off the office, and headed for bed.

* * *

><p>Two nights later, everything was made clear.<p>

It was well past midnight when Elsa woke to a light sound. "Hello? Who's there?"

It repeated, a knocking on her door. "Are you awake?"

"Yes, now I am. What is it Anna?"

"Get dressed and come with me, we have guests."

"Guests?" She jumped up and started throwing things over her nightclothes. "Did a ship come in? Which country, and why is it so urgent? Is anything wrong?"

"No, silly, not the royal 'we'. Just you and I. Well, I guess that is a royal we, but. . . . Look, it's just a little meeting with some friends I invited over. Get dressed and com'on! Hurry up!"

She emerged from her room to see Anna as antsy as ever. "What is going on, Anna?"

"Here, I'll show you." She grabbed Elsa's hand and they sped along the hallway towards the west wing. That area was still the most vacant. Even with the recent increase in staff and the dignitaries that she was obliged to keep in the castle, there was still space aplenty. One of the corridors had windows along it's right side and Anna stopped at one, looking out.

After a moment Elsa asked, "So what is this again?"

Anna looked distractedly at her older sister before saying, "Oh, this is where I told Kristoff and his friend to meet us."


	2. That Perfect Girl Is Gone

**Chapter 2: That Perfect Girl Is Gone**

"What?!"

Anna blinked into the chilly gust of wind that emerged from nowhere, then replied, "I said, 'this is where I told Kristoff and his friend to meet us.'"

"N- no! I can't believe you did this, Anna. When they show up we are sending them right back outside. We can't just sneak boys into the castle. How many times have I told you, we're supposed to act _regally_."

"Elsa, that first night after the thaw, when we talked for so long that by the time we went to bed we couldn't do anything but giggle at everything from lack of sleep, what did you tell me about building your ice palace?"

The sudden change threw her, enough to get her to answer the question instead of arguing. "Umm, I. . . I said that it had felt good to not have anything holding me back. I was able to explore my powers in safety."

"And when it comes to your suitors, what is it that you said was getting in your way?"

"The pressure of facing a lifetime with the one I pick?"

"Well, yes that, but didn't you say that the formality and the structure was getting in the way? That's why you found it difficult to see them as _men_? Hans once said that he had tricked me because, 'no one was getting anywhere with you.' That's good, because when it comes to that sort of defense you are impeccable. It means Hans didn't get to you the way he got to me. But you need to let your guard down sometime, Elsa. This will help. Here's a situation where there are no expectations of you. No one is trying to marry you for your throne. You're not the Queen of Arendelle right now, you're just a girl who's sneaking a boy into the castle."

There was an innocence to her smile, one that clashed starkly with what she implied. But at her logic and sincerity Elsa could not help but trust her sister. Maybe this was for the best. But the lingering doubts would not be silenced. "What if someone catches us?" she whispered, looking down the hallway.

"Well, that's kind of part of the fun. But no one is going to catch us; this entire wing of the palace is deserted. The guards only patrol once an hour. We can avoid that easy."

"How do you know-" Suddenly it dawned on her. "This isn't the first time Kristoff has been over at night, is it?"

Anna blushed. "Well. . . maybe."

Elsa's voice dropped to a whisper. "Anna, I know this isn't any of my business, but. . . have you two. . . ?"

"Oh! Oh, no not- it's only-" she paused to take a deep breath herself, then calmly answered, "Since you asked, you should know that I told Kristoff I wasn't ready for anything like that, and he accepted it." The corners of her mouth turned down sharply, and she turned back towards the window before saying, "You're right though, that's _not_ any of your business."

A cloud of taciturnity fell over the two sisters. Anna pointedly ignored the mournful snowfall. The flakes of ice formed unevenly around them, mostly centered around the Queen. Earlier the magical weather had drifted the snow into piles, but now they were suspended in a dead calm.

When she couldn't take the silence anymore Elsa said, "Look, I'm sorry. If it helps any I was thinking of your best interest." When there was no response she continued, "Thank you for doing this. Like you said, one of the things I learned from running away was the exhilaration of true freedom. But as Queen, I can't have that. I have responsibilities. So. . . maybe I should try and find that freedom in other ways. Bend some of the rules that aren't as important. I shouldn't- shouldn't let the stress build up like it did before."

It took Anna a moment to settle on something to say, so she went with a simple, "I love you Elsa." She leaned over and hugged her elder sister.

"I love you too Anna."

It stopped snowing.

"And you're going to have to get used to me pushing you like this," Anna mumbled into Elsa's ear. "At the coronation ball, at the ice palace, here; it's messy and difficult, but that's what I'm going to do when I notice you're closing up. When all is said and done, letting go of those constraints is in _your_ best interest. Even if you fight me every second of the way."

Elsa giggled at that. "Thank you. I'm sorry for being so stubborn." They broke apart and looked at each other.

"Stubborn?!" Anna rolled her eyes. "Marshmallow threw me off a cliff! That's some sort of stubborn!"

"Oh, ha ha." Remembering where they were, Elsa asked, "So, I don't mean to pry, but what do you and Kristoff do, then? I mean, like, what is going to happen tonight?"

Anna's cheeks flamed, almost matching her hair. "Well, when we're alone we mostly just make out. A lot. Most of the things we intend to do together we wind up getting sidetracked and. . ." she trailed off there. "But tonight I'm sure all four of us can find, like, a game to play, or something. We can just have fun."

"Anna, I'm kind of nervous. I don't even know who's- Oh. Hello."

A handsome stranger had appeared in the window they were standing guard at. He waved at them before moving away.

"That must be his friend. Kristoff! Where are you?" she called.

"Anna shhh! Someone's going to hear us."

A minute later Kristoff appeared from behind a bush outside and bolted to the window, his friend guiding. The glass between them muffled his words, "Anna! Sorry, I'm still not used to the grounds at night. Here, get this open. Ah, there- omph," he was cut off as she tackled him. They hit the wall beside the window loudly. Elsa looked away while they were otherwise occupied with each other, finding the eye of the stranger behind Kristoff. He rolled his eyes and shrugged, as if to say 'what can you do?' Elsa giggled at that, and her stomach fluttered as the nerves really hit her. The blank mask she managed at court and at balls was suddenly unattainable. Elsa wasn't sure if that was good or bad.

When his mouth was free again, Kristoff continued, "Well hello to you too. Now shh, we have to be more quite than that."

"Sorry. I just got excited. So, uh. . . what's your friend's name again?"

At that moment said friend followed Kristoff through the open window. Being the middle of summer, and inside, he wasn't expecting the snow drift directly inside. He sank in to his knee. Elsa moved forward to help him, although with her magic or by pulling him out she wasn't sure.

"No it's fine. My boot's just stuck in the. . . snow? Ooph. I'm Ragnvaldr, Kristoff's frien-AH-"

He lost his balance as he tried to pull himself free and fell forward, directly into Elsa. Instinctively she put one hand out behind her and summoned more snow. They fell harmlessly into the new foot-deep pile.

"I- I am so sorry, Queen Elsa." He muscled his way to his feet, snow cascading from his body. Looking up at him she saw he was horrified by the accident. "Are you hurt?"

"No I'm fine," she answered, standing up as well.

"Heh. I'm sorry. My deepest apologies, Queen Elsa," he said, with an awkward chuckle and remorse.

"No, no Ragnvaldr, it's fine. I'm sorry. It was the snow. My snow, I mean. Because I made it, so it's my fault. You're gorgeous. Wait, what?"

He didn't have any response to that. Anna and Kristoff looked back and fourth between the Queen and each other, mirth building up to fill the awkwardness. "Well," Kristoff said, "When you two are done testing the waters, we should probably find somewhere to hide."

Elsa felt her face warm, and knew she was blushing like crazy. The snow on the floor was vanishing in a widening circle, and that just fueled the feeling as she imagined how the others interpreted it.

They headed off to an unused parlor. It wasn't the best in the castle, an auxiliary intended for overflow during the greatest of balls, galas, and events back when Arendelle was considerably more influential than it was at the moment. It was intended to evoke a festive atmosphere, but Elsa's first thought was of the servants that glided inconspicuously from room to room on such occasions to meet the needs of the many guests.

Kristoff and Anna sat on a couch with a short table in front of it. Ragnvaldr seated himself on a couch opposite them, which was a bit further from the table. Elsa found a chair out on the fringe.

"So, I thought it would be appropriate to bring the refreshments," Kristoff started, removing a small bottle and four small mugs from a bag that Elsa hadn't noticed was slung over his shoulder. "These are the finest spirits in Arendelle." The mugs were filled quickly. Elsa took one. This development was unexpected, but it perked her interest. Alcohol didn't intimidate her; she had been having a glass of wine or brandy with dinner since she was sixteen. "Ragnvaldr actually recommended them to me," he added, raising his drink in the air as he did.

For all their toughness, neither of the men managed their first taste without some expression of discomfort. Elsa sent a chill into hers, she doubted anyone would call out her cheating. Taking a gulp she found that it certainly was not a quality French brandy, but it was new and it was Arendellen and with two coughs to ease the burn she decided to give it a chance. The taste would change as the night went on; that's what alcohol did.

Anna didn't handle it as well, though, sputtering a bit and then launching into a coughing fit. Kristoff patted her back and she got it under control, but she looked desperately between him and her elder sister for help.

With a swirl of her hand, Elsa created a glass made of ice. The best she could do was fill it with a bit of snow before Anna took it from her, chasing the alcohol with the frozen powder.

Looking at her drink again, Elsa realized this situation wasn't going to work. Getting to her feet again, Elsa said, "While I thank you for the hospitality, I think Anna and I will forgo the spirits."

"No!" Anna said, "I want to drink." She clutched her mug tighter.

"I didn't say we wouldn't drink," Elsa replied as she opened a cabinet in the back of the room to reveal a collection of bottles. "These rooms are made for entertaining guests, Anna, and there are plenty of ways to inebriate one's self. Only the expensive vintages are stored in the wine cellar. Ah," she said as she blew the dust off a label, "_Thanisch 1808_; the Germans aren't renowned for their Spätlese, but it should do."

Returning, Elsa finished her spirits and lazily tossed the mug at the couch next to Kristoff before conjuring another ice glass for herself. She popped the cork off deftly and left the bottle on the table to let it breath before sitting again. Feeling curious, she asked, "Kristoff, Anna says you live alone in the mountains with your family. How did you and Ragnvaldr come to meet?" She glanced his way again, and this time she realized a cool confidence had built up within her, or was that actually the warmth of the alcohol? Either way, this was fun.

"Well, it's an awful long way to where I live from the castle, so I've been staying at an inn here in town. A few days ago Anna and I had a. . . disagreement, and when I left I happened to bump into this bastard. We got into a tussle and somehow that turned into a drinking contest and, well, I don't remember the rest." He scratched his head, and looked at his friend, but no help came.

Elsa wasn't perturbed. "So Ragnvaldr, what do you do for a living?"

"I'm a blacksmith," he spoke up, shifting forward in his seat. "Well, I'm going to be. I'm still an apprentice. I work in Job Gofferson's shop. We make most of the Castle Guard's armor, but he says I get too distracted to do anything more important than apprentice work. I guess he's got a point there." He finished his own drink, and the glance Elsa caught him giving her over the rim of the mug sent a thrill down her spine. The feeling was equal parts scary and exciting and suddenly the ice glass next to her was a puddle. Lucky it hadn't been full. She wondered if anyone else had noticed that.

Anna jumped into the conversation, which was helpful because no words came to Elsa's mind. "So what's that like? I've never met a blacksmith before."

"Well it's hard work, and there's a lot more planning than I thought there would be when I started at thirteen. It's pleasantly warm in winter, but in summer it is just unbearably hot. The recent cold spell was quite a relief for the shop, actually."

Elsa realized she wanted another drink in her hand, if only for an excuse to avoid eye contact. Her ice glasses weren't going to work, so she went back to the cabinet and retrieved two wine glasses before filling them with the sweet red on the table. She was about to sit down in her chair, to Anna's left and a safe distance from Ragnvaldr, when she veered towards him instead.

"It's an awful long way from that chair to the table," she explained as she sat down next to him on the couch.

"I see," he said. He was now on his second round of spirits, (or was it his third? Elsa had looked away one too many times to be sure) and the smile he gave her was sly and bright and red and butterfly-inducing. "So how is Arendelle faring since the thaw, my Queen?"

_This was a bad idea_, she thought as she subtly leaned away from him. "Not well. It didn't last for long, but the winter I caused killed many of the less hardy crops."

His eyebrows furrowed with concern. "Yes, I heard something of that. How much damage was caused? Will we be ready for the regular winter?"

Elsa could feel the brief hold she had on her confidence slipping away, and she was absolutely tired of that shit. She wasn't going to let herself fall back into her icy shell. With a breath to settle her nerves, she brought up a half-smile that might have been even colder than one of her ice blasts and said, "Arendelle will be fine, I have our best negotiators working on a trade deal to bring in the needed food. Now, how about we not talk about that, hmm?"

His eyes widened. "Yes, 'mam."

"Good." She took a drink from her glass and changed the subject. "So, do you have any family?"

"Yeah, an older sister and a younger brother, and a newborn sister." She noticed for the first time that a tuft of his brown hair stuck out behind his right ear, and it bounced with the motions of his head. It held her attention for an inordinately long time while he talked. "My folks are the millers. They were at your coronation, actually. . . . The rest of my family is pretty ordinary. I've got a couple of cousins who decorate pottery with Arendelle colors, and they sell a lot of their work to the nobles and the wealthier merchants."

"That's interesting," she said distractedly. Elsa realized she was staring and looked away quickly. Across the small table she saw that Anna and Kristoff were busy snogging to their heart's content, oblivious to the world.

A mix of emotions hit her. There was a bit of joy for her sister, seeing her so easily let social norms go in the pursuit of fun. There was a bit more embarrassment to be witnessing it. But the rest was surprising; envy. She wanted that. Maybe not the true love and the adoration, those were things she was not likely to find and, even if she did, they were luxuries she couldn't afford as Queen.

But, looking back at Ragnvaldr, she could satisfy that swooping feeling in her stomach. Elsa gazed into his eyes for a moment, not sure what she was looking for. He might have intuited what she was going to do because his brow rose slightly, as if to ask, 'are you serious?'

Then her lips were on his. She reached around to the back of his neck and pulled their bodies together, tilting her head to avoid his nose as she leaned into the kiss. He tasted of the spirits Kristoff had brought, and there was a hint of her own wine, and underneath it all was a pheromone-laden bliss she would never be able to describe. She realized as their lips broke apart that maybe she was a little tipsy.

She was not tipsy enough to throw caution to the wind like that again, though. Another gulp from her glass fixed that problem.

They clashed again. Elsa found herself closing her eyes this time, the wine on her tongue tempting her into opening her mouth and darting her tongue across his bottom lip. He responded immediately, meeting hers with his own and coaxing her into a dance she didn't know the steps to. After a few seconds she pulled away again. They both noticed how heavily they were breathing, and with the realization that he was affected by this just as much as she was a self-assured grin broke across Elsa's face.

Ragnvaldr glanced at the pair across from them, then whispered to her, "Can I take you to the forge? Those two look like they might want some privacy." His wicked look implied that, despite his words, the privacy wasn't intended for Anna and Kristoff. "It's very warm there," he continued, reaching out and brushing a hand along her cheek. His breathy voice was definitely more intoxicating than the alcohol. "Hot even. I've been there in winter, the heat is enough to handle even the coldest of storms."

Elsa raised a naughty eyebrow at him. She was riding a high the likes of which she'd never dreamed. "Is that a challenge?"

"Yes."

She jumped to her feet. It caught Anna and Kristoff's attention and they disengaged to see what she was doing. Apparently they weren't oblivious to the world after all. But it brought to mind that she was about to leave her sister at least a little tipsy in the hands of a man. She turned back to Ragnvaldr and said, "Hold on a moment." He nodded. At Anna she asked, "Could we talk?"

It was plain on Anna's face that she was worried something was wrong. Her younger sister looked at the man next to her then back at Elsa. "Yeah, of course," she answered, rising as well.

Out in the hall Elsa asked, "Have you had any experience with wine before?"

"A little. Why?"

Elsa smiled a guilty little smile, not sure how to phrase what was going through her head. "Ragnvadr. . . we were. . . he was going to show me the forge he works at," she half-truthed. "But I don't plan on leaving you alone with Kristoff unless you are completely yourself." At the skeptical look on Anna's face she continued, "Yes, I know you've got more experience at this than I do, and it's completely backwards that I'm trying to look after you, but. . . you're my little sister, Anna."

Anna smiled at her. "Elsa, I'll be fine. Thanks for the wine, but I don't think I'm going to have any more. And that stuff Kristoff brought. . . blech!" They both burst into giggles. "I don't think I want to drink any more right now. You don't need to worry about that. But, Elsa. . . what do you plan on doing with him?"

Suddenly she swelled with a bout of nerves. Her stomach did a flop. "I have no idea, but it's been. . . wow it's been something so far. Being near him makes me feel like I'm flying. Or something. I don't know, but it's amazing."

Anna gave her one of those genuine smiles that she'd only ever seen on her sister's face. "I'm glad you're opening up. Now go. Believe me, I can take care of myself. You, just. . . make sure you don't do anything you aren't sure about."

Elsa hugged her sister tightly, trying to convey the love she had for Anna in actions. "I promise. And thank you again."

They headed back into the room. Kristoff and Ragnvadr broke off mid-conversation, the former greeting them with a look of worry and the latter with a look of tentative hopefulness. Elsa beckoned Ragnvadr to follow her, realizing only afterwords how sultry that might seem. Out in the hall she turned to him and before he could react she kissed him again. There was a lot more freedom of movement while standing, and the touch of his body along hers was titillating. She molded to him as close as she could, hands running up his arms and across his chest, around his neck.

She pulled away when she had her fill. Their ragged breath seemed loud in the empty halls of the castle. Whispering into his ear, Elsa asked, "So, where is this forge?"

He took her by the hand to the window he had slipped in through. The grounds were silent, dark, warm. Elsa knew the gates would be guarded, but she didn't know the lookout or patrol patterns. That was someone's job, surely, but it was far too trivial for her.

She could just order the gates open, but then the guards would know about Ragnvaldr. Instead, she took the lead through the grounds towards the perimeter. They stopped in the shadow of a garden statue and she asked, "How did you and Kristoff get over the wall?"

"We climbed. I've got my rope here, but it's going to take about five minutes." He looked up. "I can't judge by the stars as accurately as he can, but I know we're going to have to wait a while for the next patrol if we want to time it right. We won't be quick enough otherwise."

"Or I could do this," she said as she willed an ice ramp into existence, aiming it up higher than the crenelations of the wall.

"What are you doing?" he asked with trepidation.

"Trust me, just stand in front of me like this," she ordered as she put her back to his. "Don't scream." He faced the ramp, and she looked around his bulk before letting a stream of magic push them forward, the way she had propelled Olaf all those years ago for Anna. They shot up the ramp and cleared the wall by a good ten feet, and regardless of Elsa's warning both of them yelled as they reached the peak of their arc and started falling.

The land between the castle walls and the water of the fjord sloped down gently. It was easy to make a slide of ice, padded with snow, to catch them. They landed a bit harder than she intended and shot toward the water. The two of them separated, rotated, and came together again seemingly at random on the ice slide, but Elsa managed to see in front of them most of the time and she extended the ice path as they moved. They finally came to a stop thirty feet out into the fjord, their momentum gently pushing them together. She was sitting spreadeagled facing out into the water. He had managed to wind up on his side, with his stomach across her back and the rest of his body wrapped around her, feet to her left and head and arms to her right.

The ice around them cracked and Ragnvaldr yelped, but she slammed a fist down on the surface. It solidified in a fractal hexagon around them, breaking off from the path they left behind. Elsa slid her legs around so that her body aligned with his, then laid next to him and kissed him lightly. "That was fun, huh?" she giggled.

His eyes were wide as saucers, and he let out a shaky laugh in response. "It was certainly faster than my way."

Looking behind them, she realized she needed to melt all the solid ice they left in their wake. A mischievous grin spread across her face. Instead of lying alongside him, she raised up onto her hands and crawled above him, taking his mouth. Then she stopped, although she heard him make a protesting grunt, and looked back at the castle. She reached out, concentrating on the gleaming line that marked their trail, and made a brushing motion towards it, like she was sending a servant away. The tall parts seemed to slump to the ground as they lost form, then it looked as if even the water disappeared.

"What was that?" Ragnvaldr asked.

"I believe I erased the ice I used just now."

"Oh. Good thinking. Wait. . . did you just use me to control your powers?"

"Yeah. Are you complaining?"

"No."

"Are you still going to take me to the forge?"

He grinned wolfishly at her.

"Yes."

* * *

><p>Repeat: <strong>Mature Content Warning.<strong> There will be no plot development in this chapter beyond this point.

* * *

><p>The flutters in Elsa's stomach were making themselves known as they slipped into the dim light of Ragnvaldr's workshop. The heat was noticeable, even with the inferno that was the furnace having been starved for hours.<p>

Ragnvaldr turned and kissed her, pressing her sensually against the wall next to the door. Without breaking their connection, she felt the ground disappear from beneath her as he spun her around and sat her down on a table.

Elsa felt her legs slide further apart as he pressed his hips up to the edge of the table, and she pulled back. "Whoa. Let's slow down here."

He smiled reassuringly, but it faltered slightly when he realized the table was now solid ice. "It's okay. Sit back a little more." She scooted back and he made an attempt for her lips again. With a bit of hesitation, she allowed it.

His thumb brushed along her cheek. She let out a moan and it surprised her by how right the sound felt. Then Ragnvaldr's mouth left hers and he tipped her head up, leaving a trail of kisses along the bottom of her chin to her neck. "Oh! Oh my. . . that feels good." The innocent flutters in her stomach were gone now, moving south in the onslaught of sensations. Elsa felt a heat the likes of which she never imagined building at the juncture between her legs. The shivers and goosebumps were nothing in comparison. The slickness of the ice on the table was gone in moments.

A single fingertip stroked up her forearm, to her shoulder, across her collarbone, and then slowly down the slope of her right breast. The light touch awakened a heat in her nipples as well, and she didn't protest as the finger circled once, twice, before his hand enveloped the sensitive flesh. Elsa moaned again.

Between teasing kisses and the occasional nip and suck on her neck, Ragnvaldr paused long enough to make fragments of his intentions known. "Elsa. . . I want to take. . . this dress off of you."

She took a moment to consider the request, enjoying the ride he was sending her body on all the while.

"You will stop if I tell you to stop," she finally decided on saying, make it clear that it was an order and not a question. "Let me stand up." He reluctantly stepped away from her. Elsa hopped to the floor and pulled her dress over her head, leaving only the shift she had been sleeping in and a pair of plain, shapeless knickers beneath that, which he likely couldn't see. She threw the dress over the lip of the table behind her and moved forward to kiss him again. "If I don't tell you to stop," she said between breaths, "then keep going." When they were firmly connected she jumped up into his arms, wrapping her legs around his hips. Her nether regions pressed up against him and the friction fanned the fire building there.

Ragnvaldr brought her to the table again, laying her down gently on her dress. She didn't mind if it was destroyed, and it made good padding. Finding her neck again he elicited another moan from her lips. He moved up to her ear and took the bottom into his mouth. Elsa had no idea ears could be so sensitive. But it didn't last long; soon his skillful tongue headed south. When he reached the loose neckline of her shift his hand found her breast again. She connected the dots and her body tensed with anticipation as he pulled the neckline over her right shoulder, then slowly down her body, exposing more and more of her alabaster skin. He kissed downward, following the path blazed by his finger earlier to her newly exposed nipple. When he reached it he took it into his mouth and sucked.

Elsa screamed, not a high-pitched scream but a low and primal shout of ecstasy.

"Shh!" Ragnvaldr hissed, stopping suddenly. He looked around, controlling his breathing to listen intently for anyone's approach. Elsa paused as well, the table she was on suddenly covered with ice again.

"Oh my god, I am so sorry," she whispered after a few moments. She briefly wondered if any of her magic had affected him, but he likely would have said something if it had.

He let out a nervous chuckle. "It's fine, just. . . you have to be quiet. Sure, this might be bad for you if we get caught, but I would likely be killed on sight if I was found with the Queen." A note of fear echoed in his voice, and the glimpse past his bravado chased away all the thoughts the word 'Queen' brought to her mind. She pulled herself up to kiss him in an effort to rekindle their fire. This time she broke off to trace her mouth along his jawline, finding a visceral satisfaction when the hand she had on his chest told her of how quick his breathing had become.

Soon he returned to suckling her, causing her to gasp and shudder alternatively. He reached down for the hem of her shift and brought it over her head for easier access, and she realized she was in nothing but her underwear bottoms. If she had known this would happen she would have worn a more appealing pair, but Ragnvadr didn't seem to mind as he finished with her breasts and started kissing down her stomach.

Elsa gasped, louder than before. Was he going to. . . ? He continued and every muscle in her body tightened. He paused, noticing her reaction, but when she remained silent he continued down over her abdomen. He reached the waistline of her underthings and gently lifted her hips, sliding his fingers underneath before dragging the material down.

She was exposed. Elsa realized as she looked down and saw the neat white patch of hair between her legs that she was completely naked in front of this man she had barely met, and that it was so hypocritical, and so downright_ naughty_ and his tongue met her entrance and magic shot from her palms. The front of the furnace behind them was now covered in icicles and frost and she simply could not care less.

Ragnvaldr tried to tentatively explore her folds, but her body had other ideas. As if of their own accord her hips rose up and her back arched, trying to increase the friction. In response, he drove his tongue inside of her. His nose just happened to brush a particularly sensitive spot and Elsa moaned, "Yesssss." As he continued his ministrations she formed a rhythm with her hips that made damn sure his nose brushed against that spot.

Sensations coursed through Elsa as the man knelt before her and ate her. On impulse, she moved a hand down to Ragnvaldr's head and shifted his mouth up from her entrance to that spot, a small button just above it. He obliged and a rush immediately started building inside her. "Ooooohhh fuck. Oh don't stop."

Ragnvaldr flicked his tongue out right onto the nub and fluttered it there. All the bliss Elsa was feeling came to a head and she convulsed for a few moments as the stimulation wracked through her body. The man between her legs didn't slow as she arched off the table again, and she rode the devastating orgasm into an afterglow of satisfaction. After what seemed like a timeless moment of ecstasy, Elsa's bare rear fell back to the table.

It was the middle of the night, and she had missed a fair bit of sleep. Exhaustion almost took her as Elsa lay there, aftershocks of pleasure firing through her at random.

She came back to reality abruptly when she realized Ragnvaldr was taking off his pants and moving closer to the edge of the table.

Immediately Elsa slid away from him, preventing him from proceeding any further. He hadn't moved to in the first place, so she didn't say anything. Instead she watched as he finished disrobing, her attention being pulled to the slender protrusion from his groin.

It was about a dozen centimeters long, maybe more. She couldn't tell in the dim light of the forge. When he finally removed his shirt and stood up straight before her, she asked, "Ragnvaldr, what do you think is going to happen right now?"

Suddenly his body language was completely different, and it was very easy to see without any clothes to hide the subtle muscle movements of his toned form. After a moment he responded, "I. . . thought we were going to sleep together."

"You realize that I. . . cannot lie with you. Not as a woman usually lays with a man. At least, not in the way you intend. My potential marriage would be ruined, and Arendelle would suffer greatly, if you took my maidenhead."

He seemed to deflate at her words, and a look ghosted over his face. She could read it before it disappeared, though. He had done plenty for her, and had showed her more than she could ever have imagined about this carnal art. How was she repaying him? With nothing? His look was anger and betrayal and a bit of intimidation, when he remembered she was the Queen and she _could_ toy with him like this, if she so desired. There was nothing he could do. The feeling bothered him greatly.

Elsa considered for a moment, then said, "Come here," gesturing next to her on the table. He crawled beside her, leaving space between them. She moved closer, figuring out what it felt like to have so much skin-to-skin contact. He radiated heat. It was noticeable even in the warmth of the forge. She ran her hands across his body, leaving a trail of goosebumps. "Are my hands cold?" she asked self-consciously.

"Yes. I can't imagine what it would be like in winter, but here and now it is wonderful."

Elsa drew patterns across his chest. Then up to his face, which was a tad bit coarse with stubble. Down one arm. Over a bare thigh.

When her fingertips crossed into a short tangle of brown hair a shiver ran through Ragnvaldr, and his manhood stood back at attention. Tearing her eyes away from the sight, she turned to kiss him deeply on the mouth as she took hold of his shaft. Slowly, carefully, she stroked it up and down.

She realized she had moved somewhat away in her exploration, so she shifted partially on top of him and pressed her naked self along his side. Her own fire flared again when her sex met the side of his leg. As her tongue worked its way into his mouth and her hand gently coaxed his member, she rocked her hips against him.

Elsa kept at that for some time. She was just starting to feel a second wind coming, reviving her body parts from the stupor her climax had brought on, when Ragnvaldr gasped. She felt muscles all along his body clench and she paused for a moment in surprise. Then she started pumping her hand more vigorously, and from the tip of him a jet of white seed erupted.

She remembered how directly after her peek falling sleep had seemed like the most inviting thing in the world, so Elsa tried not to feel too bad when she heard a soft snore escape him. Even though she had been building up again, feeling as warm, tired, and satisfied as she did it was just a few minutes before she closed her eyes as well.

Her last though was of how good his warm skin felt on hers.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> If you read the context for this story in my bio, you know that this is a self-insert (of a sort). You will know 'me,' the character that represents and parallels me, by the balcony scene he has. I got a balcony scene in real life and goddammit it's going in this story.

**EDIT:** Woah! Reviews? I've been working on my novel (this fanfiction was more a break from that than anything), but I just got hooked on Frozen again and was trying to find a fanfiction that I hadn't yet read. I mentioned this dilemma to a friend and they asked, "Uh, what about _your_ Frozen fanfic?" I had completely forgotten about this story, and I am so sorry! To you reviewers, followers, and faves, I can't promise regular updates. But at the same time I couldn't in good conscience leave this on such a cruel cliff hanger! Elsa just fell asleep at the forge!? What!?

Thank you all for the feedback. You are the reason this is coming out of hibernation.


	3. The Morning After

**Chapter Three: The Morning After**

Despite the blissful, hormone-induced sleep that followed, Elsa did not rest well. She woke up a few hours later to find only the fabric of her dress between her side and the unforgiving planks of a wooden table, and nothing at all between her skin and the warm air of the forge. Elsa's head was still filled with sensual memories as she lifted it from the meaty cushion it lay upon, the forearm of. . . what was his name?

Oh.

Oh no.

She was on her feet in a moment. The sudden rush of conflicting emotions caused a sheen of ice to blast out in a radius around the Queen as her bare soles touched the packed earth floor, and the sudden change of color was enough to shake her back to reality. She couldn't let her powers run away with her like they had at her Coronation. The room's dull orange, a product of the ever-glowing coals of the forge fire, turned to midnight blue in a blink. Everything was glazed in ice.

And then just like that it was okay. The man (Raugval?) turned over in his sleep in response to the chill, and Elsa realized other than him she was comfortably alone. Her powers settled.

When the blacksmith's apprentice had shifted in his sleep, her dress was fully revealed lying empty on the table. She carefully took it and donned it again. Elsa wondered what her hair looked like, but there wasn't time for that. She only delayed long enough to jot down two notes on some parchment she found lying around the workshop. There was only one relatively unblemished piece, and she saved that for the second. The first she crammed into the blank space at the bottom of an inventory list of some sort:

Ser,  
>While I don't regret what happened this past night in<br>it's own right, it would put me in a difficult situation  
>if it were to become known. <span>It will not become known<span>.  
>If the following note is not enough to convince you<br>of keeping your silence, then I beg you to remember  
>that disobeying an order from the crown is Treason.<br>Burn this note.

Elsa didn't sign it, but her final touch was instead to underline _It will not become known_ again. Then she moved on to the cleaner parchment:

To Ser Teon of House Whorl,  
>Castle Quartermaster and Master of Coin,<p>

I decree that the suits of armor decorating the castle be  
>made open and available to the armorers of Arendelle<br>and their apprentices for study. Furthermore, each  
>apprentice shall pick one suit to have and use as<br>they see fit, up to and including working, reworking,  
>and selling the metal.<p>

The exceptions to this are the armors of historical significance.  
>The armor of my father, King Agdar, the armor of First Queen<br>Johanna, and all the Queens and Kings may be studied,  
>but shall not be given away.<p>

This she marked with her usual regal signature. The Snow Queen turned to look at the sleeping man again. He was her subject, with a right to her concern and her influence as much as all the citizens of Arendelle. But at the same time he was so much more than that now. He was a liability if anyone ever discovered what had transpired within this forge. He was a threat if he got it into his head to try and use that leverage for his own benefit. He was. . . her lover, if only for a night.

He was a source of distress. A light snowfall in the room reminded her why that was a problem.

"Goodbye. . . Ragnvaldr."

* * *

><p>The town was quiet. The trip was nerve-wracking, and Elsa would have given her title for a good hooded cloak, but she didn't meet a soul on her way to the castle.<p>

Then she got to the bridge. She could simply walk through and hope the guards didn't notice anything amiss about her. Elsa was confident in her ability to put them at ease if need be. Or she could make another break over the wall. The sky was just starting to brighten to the East.

After a moment of thought, she decided that without a pattern to draw conclusions from, the knowledge of her being out and about at night was the lesser of two evils. If she were to be seen using her powers to try and slip past her own security it would cause much more alarm. A pang of regret for her actions the night before and the risks she had taken disturbed her, but she reminded herself that everything could still turn out for the best as long as she played this situation correctly. She just needed to be clearheaded about it.

She flicked her hand and a flat sheet of ice came into existence between her fingers, almost the way the ladies' decorative fans did at balls and parties. It formed a hexagonal fractal pattern, and she turned its sheer face to hers to make sure nothing was noticeably out of place with her appearance. With deft strokes her hair lost most of its tangles and she rearranged her dress to be less conspicuously disheveled.

Elsa strode across the bridge to her castle. The four guards on the wall stirred and one of them disappeared. When she was ten meters from the gate she stopped, but no one challenged her. How was this usually done?

A noise caught her attention: A small door recessed into the wall opened and the flickering glow of torchlight gave her a brief warning before the second guard emerged from the sally port.

"Who goes there?" he called out.

Elsa had to shield her eyes, undignified as it was, because of the contrast between the darkness of the night and the guard's torch.

"It is I, Queen Elsa," she said with as much strength as she could muster.

"My- my Queen!" He almost dropped his torch in his rush to stand at attention. "Are you alright, Your Majesty?"

"I'm fine, be at ease. I just need to get into the castle. I. . . was taking a walk, and. . ." she trailed off when she realized she didn't have to mention why she was doing what she was doing to a guard, and bringing it up at all was a bad idea.

"Of course Your Majesty. I am at your service." He closed and locked the sally port door behind her, then turned and, unsure of himself, asked, "Would you like an escort through the grounds, Your Majesty?"

"No, thank you. You may return to your post." He turned to do so immediately, but she stopped him. "But first, Ser, what is your name?"

"Gerrik, Your Majesty. And I'm not a knight."

"Have you heard of the word 'sonder', Gerrik?"

He looked guilty. "No, Your Majesty. A guard doesn't often need for reading in his, uh, post."

"No, it's quite alright Ser, few people know it at all. I only just discovered it a few days ago while I was reading and had to find a dictionary myself. I bring it up because it's meaning came to mind. It is the feeling that each person we meet has a life as vivid and intricate as our own. What is happening with the guard right now that I might not know of, but that I could make easier if I did?"

"Well. . . we're a bit nervous, the guards. The Captain's got us on double shifts. Things are settling down since you thawed everything, but some people are still unhappy. There was a man down by the wharves-" He broke off, uncertain.

"Yes? What about this man down by the wharves?" Queen Elsa asked. She kept her tone gentle, but her mere presence was enough to remind him she was Queen.

"He lost his crop during the cold spell, and was ranting about your magic, Your Majesty." He said it as if he was admitting to a murder.

"Ah. If it helps, Gerrik, I am well aware of those tensions, although the details of this man in particular is new. My people have a right to be nervous. I did too much damage to suddenly be accepted, and as no one has ever seen something like this before no one knows how to handle me. I'll talk with Captain Kahv about it. Thank you for bringing this to my attention."

"As Your Majesty commands." He bowed and returned to his post.

Once in the castle she could follow the main path to the throne room and then twist around through the maze of corridors and stairways to her bedchamber, but the quickest route to her destination was a servant's entrance beneath the royal wing, just past the stables. Elsa made her way towards there. Once she turned around the corner of the stables, however, she saw a certain blond-haired official leaving the same door she intended to enter.

She stopped, for a moment indecisive about what to do. The moment to decide came and went as Kristoff quietly slid the door to the castle closed and turned to make his escape.

They locked eyes, twenty meters separating them.

The emotions that crossed the Icemaster's guileless face were clear. First, dismay at being caught. Then confusion and a little bit of hope when he realized this person already knew he was in the castle. He approached, and she looked around before ducking into the stables, out of sight.

He passed by the door, maybe seeing it as Elsa turning the other way and letting him continue, but was stopped in his tracks when a cold voice reached out to him. "Kristoff."

"Yes, E-" He caught himself as he entered. "Yes, Your Majesty?"

She was inspecting the grains in a wooden support beam. They were very interesting. She addressed him, but did not look at him yet. "Good. You may call me Elsa in private, but here we are in the stables, which is very much a public setting. Thank you for remembering." He would have somehow acknowledged this, but Elsa didn't see him open his mouth. "Kristoff, I have no moral high ground with which to work with here. What I am going to say can only be seen as hypocritical, but I feel I need to say it anyway.

"In the past few hours, I have faced two problems that you might be accustomed to; both getting out of and then getting back into this castle in the most discreet way possible. I left with Ragnvale-"

She stopped, took a breath, and started again; a technique from her oration instructor that happened to come in handy in everyday conversations.

"When I left with Ragnvaldr, I used my powers to get us up and over the walls so we wouldn't be seen together. This was _not_ the right thing to do. If we had been caught it would have distinctively been me, and no other, because of my magic. It would not have been hard to put together that I had snuck out at the very least, and questions would have been raised as to why. Questions that _can't be answered_. Questions that would raise doubts as to my honor, and my rule.

"But on the way back in, because I am Queen and should have been in the castle already, the guards let me in through the front gate. I tried to put them as much at ease as possible so that it wouldn't cause too much of a scandal, and I believe I succeeded.

Elsa finally turned to the man, frozen in place by her words, and she realized there was very pointedly no snow falling around her. She smiled at him. "Kristoff, I now understand the pull that you and my sister feel for each other that drives you two to arrange these meetings." He gulped. "It is, frankly, none of my business as Anna's sister. But I can't just see her as a sister, I don't have that luxury. She is also a Princess of Arendelle.

"Now, on that front I have already been generous. I made you some bullshit title so that if you wished to court my sister, you would be able to do so without being dismissed out of hand. You have the potential to be married. _In the future._

"But that is not something that is guaranteed, because it's not something I can guarantee. That is between you and Anna. But if you truly love her, you will make sure you do not ruin her honor. Because up to your wedding day, if and when you and she both say 'I do', she has every right to call this affair off between the two of you."

Kristoff looked heartbroken, and he put his palms over his eyes, but he found the courage to say what was on his mind anyway. "Elsa, I assure you Anna and I haven't done any. . . honor-breaking. We've only kissed, I assure you."

"I know, I talked with her about it. But there are other ways to break her reputation, Kristoff. That's what 'honor' means, not just her virginity." He grimaced and looked down. "Yes, as I said, I know full well the pull between you two. It's a heady feeling that can drive people to make stupid decisions." Kristoff looked up at Elsa again, not sure anymore what she was implying about herself and his smithy friend. "I'm bringing this up because if her honor is brought into question because of your relationship-say for instance you get caught trying to sneak into the castle-and in the future the unthinkable happens where you two do break up, what position would that leave her in? She would be ruined, Kristoff, with little chance of every having marriage prospects again.

"These are the things that I need to consider as Queen. This is why I brought up my own methods of sneaking into and out of the castle. If I had been caught with Ragnvaldr, it would have been the scandal of the fucking century. With my powers still not sitting well with much of the citizenry, it could very well have sparked a revolution. Depending on how things turned out, that one reckless decision could have put my head on a spike, and Anna's along with it."

Elsa never raised her voice, but her fear was palpable in the flakes of white now falling around her. "These aren't things that people want to think about. But as Queen, I have to consider them. It's my duty. It's my _job._ A few hours ago I acted rashly instead of thinking things through, and if I had thought it through I would have made a very different decision. This sort of sneaking around. . . when it comes to Anna it's not something that can be stopped completely, I know that. If she wants something, nothing is going to stand in her way, be it me or social conventions or even her own best interest.

"But climbing the walls at night, evading the patrols on the way to meet her, that has to stop, because it is too risky and the consequences are too dire. For Anna's sake, you can't take risks like that. As for _me_, the stakes are even more serious, as usual," she added, slightly bitterly. "I'm not likely going to be in a position to sneak off with Ragnvaldr or anyone else _ever again_. So, Kristoff, do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Yes. Anna and I have to stop sneaking around."

"No, you have to see each other, and the only way to do that is to sneak around. But you have to stop living on the edge. When I protested the idea of you and Ragnvaldr coming over, one of my questions was 'What if we get caught?' Anna's response was 'That's part of the fun.'" She looked at him. He rubbed an eyebrow in equal parts frustration and understanding. That's Anna alright. "You have to stop taking unnecessary risks. Bring it up to Anna, she'll take it better from you than me, and see if you can find better ways to do what you do. If you two need my authority for anything, mention to Anna that I'm her sister and of course I'll help. But don't mention that this caution was my idea. You have heard my arguments for why you two need to be more careful, act on them or don't.

"As for a safer way to deal with this situation in particular," she gestured first to him, and then vaguely around them, "I can't in good conscience let you risk detection by scaling the walls. You'll be staying in the guest wing for the night. We don't have anyone staying here currently so there shouldn't be any trouble from guards or servants or other guests; it's deserted. Tomorrow, walk out the front gates no earlier than the eight o'clock guard change. If they ask any questions, say you entered the castle with a message for me at seven. . . or whenever, sometime before the guard change. If they press you, tell them the message was about the summer ice stores. . . you know, something to do with your title. What I'm saying is bullshit it. Make it seem like you're supposed to be there, but whatever you do don't mention Anna." Kristoff looked taken aback. She hoped he was capable of it.

"Now, I'm going to bed. Wait at least five minutes before you leave these stables in case anyone glimpses me, and again: Be. Safe."

With that, Elsa headed for bed.

* * *

><p>The morning after was rough.<p>

Elsa had a meeting with her Council at eight, and she woke with only a total of maybe five hours sleep behind her. When broken up into three of four small chunks interspersed between Anna's little double date, the passion that Elsa had shared with Ragnvaldr (god she really hoped she got his name right), and the talks she had been in on the way back home, it wasn't nearly enough.

But the Snow Queen got up anyway, again fixing her hair so that she was presentable by the standards of propriety. It was just a council meeting, so she had a lot of freedom to work with than, say, treating with an emissary. Elsa hadn't donned her ice dress since she evaporated it the day after the thaw and set about her Queenly duties in more appropriate attire, so with a twirl of her body she cocooned herself in her magic.

She went down to the throne room, big and grand enough for any ball, and stepped through an adjacent door. She arrived a few minutes early and her council was mostly assembled; only Kahv, Captain of the Castle Guard, had yet to arrive. There was Ser Teon Whorl, Master of Coin and Quartermaster. There was Lady Urdea, she was the High Chancellor and had been Steward in the years between the King and Queen's death at sea and Elsa's Coronation. The Royal Minister was a Bishop named John, he had been the one to present Elsa with the ceremonial scepter and ball during her coronation. Commander Seth, of house Ra, had been the general directing Arendelle's armies for longer than Elsa even knew. The newly appointed Foreign Adviser was Lord Uther, a recommendation from Lady Urdea that she made shortly after she stepped down as Steward of the Realm. Governor Bisho was a timid fellow, in the week since Elsa started attending the council she got the impression he felt like a small fish in a big pond. he was invited because his position was on the books as part of the Council, not because he contributed. Finally there was Greg, the scribe. A scholarly fellow, bespectacled and with a robe not unlike a monk's, he took notes and handled paperwork when it came into play.

She sat down at the head of the table and waited. There was already a bit of chatter between Ser Teon and Lady Urdea about the state of the country's resources.

"-it's not that we don't have enough as a collective, it's that some people were hit harder than others, and because of the resulting scarcity they can't afford to buy what they need."

"And this happens all the time," Ser Teon countered. "The crown can't afford to rebalanced things every time something throws a kink in the system. It balances itself."

"That depends on who the people blame for the 'kink in the system'. If it was a harsh winter in January, we _could_ sit idly by and watch our people starve, although _should_ is far from the right word. For those of us with some semblance of," she muttered something that was certainly obscene under her breath, "_conscience_ it would be a hard winter, one that we write down in the annals, one whose ghosts come back to visit us in our dreams many years later. But we would survive another year, sure. This wasn't a particularly harsh winter, it was a magical accident caused by our Queen here. The people blame us for this hardship. If we do nothing, they will be tearing down the gates of the castle within a month!"

Kahv entered the room then, which caused enough of a disruption for Elsa to smoothly intercept the conversation, "What of this man that I've heard has been ranting about my magic down by the docks?"

"Your Majesty," Bishop John said, "This is the first I've heard of him, but I recommend caution. I don't think it wise to respond harshly to this man. There are long-established laws about street preaching. As much as I might wish otherwise, the soothsayers and savpriests are tolerated by the guards even if they climb up the chapel steps to get a better vantage to shout from. So long as this man isn't impeding those around him, he has a right to use this public space as his venue."

"I don't mean for us to move against the man, I want to know how long he's been out there. Surely if I had to find out in such a roundabout way as talking with the city blacksmiths, the council that is meant to keep me informed has some information on him?" She looked around, her eyes lingering on Kahv a moment longer than the others.

He took the hint. He wasn't going to get away with playing dumb. "Your Majesty, I have heard about this man. The city guard came across him three days ago, the day of the ball. I heard of him that night. I talked with Captain Herald and he mentioned it, and there is now talk among the guard. I doubled the castle guard in response, and Captain Herald mentioned that in the interest of security, it would be best if the man was dealt with."

"Dealt with." It bordered on being a question, it just wasn't.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Did he specifically mention how?"

"No, Your Majesty."

Elsa started to get annoyed, so she got more to the point. "If you were in his position and decided to deal with this man, how would you go about it?"

"I would schedule the patrols so that one went through that area of the docks at least once an hour, and instruct the men to make him feel unwelcome if they saw him. Telling him to move along, to be quiet, and the like."

"You've been on patrol yourself, correct?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. I was a Sergent in the city guard for thirteen years."

"If you were on patrol, and the man you were instructed to intimidate did not do as you told him, is it likely that the man would be harmed?"

He kept his face stoic. "Yes, Your Majesty. It is likely that if he did not follow orders he would come to harm."

"I see. Greg?" Elsa asked. She turned to the scribe. "Draft up a summons to Captain Herald, of the city guard. Have him attend me at his leisure. I'll sign it later. Now, shall we officially get started?"

There was a murmur of agreement. This was the part Elsa had needed to practice at, she'd botched her first council meeting as Queen. Not that it mattered. They didn't need to chip a piece of wood to sit down and talk about Arendelle's problems, but it was tradition. Lady Urdea produced a birch branch eight centimeters in length and an ornate knife and handed them to Elsa. With two quick strokes at slightly different angles and a tiny bit of prying she took a solid notch out of the segment of branch.

The first council she hadn't had the accuracy to cut the thin wedge from the wood, and the uneven marks were evidence under her fingers. She had simply given up and sliced a bit off with her ice. Considering how her magic was causing much of the unrest in the kingdom, it would have been far from diplomatically ideal to do so again.

"This council is now in session." It was the sixth and final notch in the birch wood, so she handed it to Greg. On Monday they would start anew, her second week as Queen. "Now, where should we start?"

"The effects of the food shortage are still being felt around the country, Your Majesty," Ser Teon offered. "As the High Chancellor has implied, due to the. . . nature of the shortage, it might be prudent if we pacify the populace in some way."

"Shortage? The word is appropriate, in so much as people are going hungry. But I thought I heard you say there _is_ enough food to go around, it's just not going around."

"Lady Urdea said that, Your Majesty."

"I'll accept that Lady Urdea said it, I had just arrived and wasn't paying my full attention. Now, as Quartermaster, I'm asking you, Ser Teon, whether it is correct or not."

"I would disagree with it. It is factually correct, but it implies a simplicity that isn't true to the nature of the situation. If we are talking about redistributing what we already have, that means taking from citizens who have been spared from the worst of this accident. Those citizens are going to be trying to sell what food they have at the street prices, and will feel cheated of the opportunity to do so if we take their property."

"And these citizens feeling cheated is more important than the citizens who are starving. . . why?"

Lord Teon let out a long-suffering sigh, then smiled and said, "Your Majesty, it's going to make a lot of powerful people angry if you take their property. It is impinging on their rights, and regardless of the circumstances it will cause more unrest that it will quiet. You seemed displeased when a man speaking treason on the street was treated badly, and yet you seriously consider violating the rights of the people that keep this kingdom on its feet?"

"Hmmm. . . alright, it might not be the best idea. What do you recommend? Surely you don't suggest we do nothing?"

"I do indeed suggest we do nothing, but if Your Majesty thinks this situation requires action then I would say we first ask our allies to the south for provisions, and if that is not enough then we buy what we need from merchants in such countries as Corona, Fredrikstad, even so far south as Kiel and Hamburg."

Elsa's heart skipped for a moment when she thought the shrewd man was going to mention the Southern Isles. They would not be taking any help from the likes of Hans Westergaard.

"Does anyone have objections to this plan?" Elsa asked her council. High Chancellor Urdea scowled slightly but kept silent. "This opens up a whole host of other questions as well. How many of my people are going hungry? How much food do we need? Someone needs to be officially responsible for organizing this effort. Do we have any volunteers?" No one moved. Elsa panned around them twice, but this time her cold stare wasn't enough. "Alright, I'll lead this myself. Ser Teon, budget in fifty Kroner for expenses, I'll-"

"Your Majesty," Urdea interrupted. "It's fine, I'll do it. Heaven forbid we get the food from those who have enough already," she shot a glare at Ser Teon, "But the decision has been made. No need to bother yourself with it, we know you already have enough demands on your time."

Elsa dipped her head graciously. "Thank you, Lady Urdea. We're not done yet, however. Ser Teon, budget in fifty Kroner for expenses, and be aware that it may increase dramatically if we do need to buy these provisions. This situation is going to get worse before it gets better, I'd like to send the letters to our allies out at once. We should send formal petitions to Corona, Kvenland, Fredrikstad, Hamburg, Nokskov, and Thisted. Not Kiel, they will likely still remember how my father sided with Hamburg, and besides they didn't send a delegation to my coronation. Lord Uther, as Foreign Adviser is this a fair assessment?"

He nodded and said, "We might add Nogreaw to the list. They have been open in their sympathies for us, particularly since the King and Queen's passing. Their tribute to the funeral was the most lavish we received. They mean us well."

"Agreed. In the meantime, I don't know if it will have much of an effect or not, but this castle won't serve a meal that is more than one course until this crisis is over. Lady Urdea, see to it that Gerda is informed and that our stores of food are distributed properly."

There was some tittering at this, but the High Chancellor smiled and said, "A fine plan I think, Your Majesty."

"That's that. General Seth, Lord Uther, is my country at all in danger of war?"

Similarly blunt, it was Seth of Ra who answered, "Yes."

"The Southern Isles, or the Duchy of Weselton?"

"Either. Both."

At Elsa's look Lord Uther explained. "Despite Prince hans' crimes, his country could very well take the incident as provocation, Your Majesty. It's harder since you didn't kill him, but still possible. Weselton is angry enough to fund a war, but not to start one. It's a monetary issue with them in the first place; the cessation of trade with us. The problem is that these two disparate states could very easily find common cause against us. The Duke and prince Hans worked in tandem throughout the incident, albeit unknowingly. If they were to try and rally our enemies against us with criticisms of your ice magic. . ." he trailed off, but Elsa understood. Her magic was a barrier between Arendelle and other states, the same as it was a barrier between her and her people. It was a potential threat that would always be viewed with wary eyes.

"Who could we call upon if we were faced with imminent war?"

"About the same list as those whom we will be calling on for food, and it's likely that they will only abide by one or the other, Your Majesty."

The grizzled General added, "A war is a serious thing, 'Mam. It's not something one commits to lightly. For practical considerations, there's no need to expect one for another five weeks at the earliest, just counting how long it would take for the Southern Isles or the Weselton forces to get here. If they do mobilize, Lord Uther's ears will hear of it long before there's boots on the ground."

"The General is correct. Your Majesty," Lord Uther prompted, "There is one other thing. Have you considered any of the suitors for your hand?"

Elsa had been rock solid up until that point. She could hold her own, she could mediate the constant tensions between her Master of Coin and her High Chancellor, she could handle decisions that would mean life or death for her starving subjects, for the Arendelle military forces, for a man down near the docks who thought her naught but an ice witch; she could do all this without the slightest chill in the air or an errant snowflake.

The first mention of her suitors and the temperature dropped ten degrees, while at the same time she felt an opposite warmth on her cheeks. She knew it, and she knew her advisers and officials all knew it, and that made it worse. But Elsa realized that the sooner she addressed the question, the sooner this horrid feeling would end. Timidly she said, "No. No, Lord Uther, I have not."

"I understand that it is more complicated than solidifying an alliance between Arendelle and another state," he continued softly. "Believe me, I do. But your hand and your sister's hand are immensely powerful diplomatic weapons. Would it be inappropriate to make a list of suggestions?"

Elsa let out a nervous laugh at his impeccable courtesy. "No, Lord Uther. Go ahead. As Foreign Adviser, it's your job. I understand that."

"In that case, Archduke Yolout of Holstien would be first, and by far. Your Majesty, his family's wealth outshines that of our entire country, and that's not an exaggeration. He is a distant cousin of Louis the fourteenth." There was a bit of murmuring at that. "His interest in you, I think, is rooted in your magic. I don't know any more than that, and it's only speculation.

"Second is Prince Christian of Fredrikstad, to the East. He has not come to court you, so it would require a four day trip at the least, but uniting Arendelle and Fredrikstad would improve our position greatly. Now that trade with Weselton has ended they are a more profitable port than we are, but most of all they have a military that outnumbers us six to one on land. Although we match them at sea, it would make up for our own lack of a strong standing army. Even together, Weselton and the Southern Isles would think twice before declaring war against a united Arendelle-Fredrikstad force.

"Third is Kvenland, and I'll admit there's not much to recommend. Kvenland is smaller than us, less prosperous than us, and altogether an average state. If we were to unite with them we would not be hurting our own prestige, but we would not be increasing it either. We would gain a modest increase to our military forces and our yearly taxes, both of which are helpful for the trials we can foresee."

Lord Uther cleared his throat and concluded, "If you marry anyone else, Your Majesty, it will not likely be for diplomatic reasons."

"My Lord, you mention Kvenland. Why this country over, say, Nogreaw or Hamburg? They are very similar in size and strength, which is to say they are all lackluster. What makes you favor them?"

"They are the safest bet, Your Majesty. Of the 'lackluster' options, as you say, King Agyre and Queen Genevieve of Kvenland have seven eligible sons and four daughters. Two of their daughters have already been married to ally states, ensuring them allies should they have need. Their ability to marry into status is better than others, certainly better than ours, and if any of the 'lackluster' states were to grow in the next few years it would be Kvenland for this reason. And, Your Majesty," he cleared his throat again, "If you were to decide that allying with Kvenland was best for Arendelle, you, uh, would have an array of options as to your potential husband."

The warm red glow returned to Elsa's face, she could feel it. "Ah." But then something tugged at her mind. "So, the Southern Isles similarly has an advantage in diplomatic power, having so many sons?" Unconsciously she turned to General Seth as she continued, "Who have they wed their sons off to?" With that subtle motion of her head, everyone knew the topic had changed from love to war.


	4. Love Is A Battlefield

**Chapter Four: Love Is A Battlefield**

The talk of the ball was the Archduke's departure.

Elsa knew she had to keep her composure, and she did, but it would have been nice to be able to get away from the conversation. The worst part of having balls thrown in your honor is that, in one way or another, everything said reflects on you.

". . . I heard he was offended by the food. I don't blame him."

"It's not that he was offended personally, but he's already reaching so far down the ladder. . ."

". . . practically marrying into poverty. It wouldn't be fitting of his status. . ."

"I mean I understand times are hard, but that doesn't mean we should suffer!"

". . . but like I said, magic's not all that when it comes to money."

"Oakir," Elsa said with more force than she intended. She coughed lightly before continuing, "I'm tiring of dancing. Could we step out to the grounds for some air?"

"Of course, Your Highness."

"Oh, please, call me Elsa."

The Throne Room was open to the night air and the courtyard, and once outside the oppressive noise died down. The Snow Queen smelled the tang of sea on the air and realized she could finally breath freely again. She'd felt daring and dressed in her ice dress this time, instead of another ball gown. And a good thing too, the atmosphere was more than constricting enough, adding a corset would have killed her. Literally.

"Elsa, I'm sorry."

"What? Why, Oakir?"

He scratched his head. "I couldn't help but overhear what everyone's been saying, and I'm sorry that it happened to you. The whole situation. First with the events after your Coronation, and the hardship is has brought on Arendelle since, and now this thing with Archduke Yolout. . . I guess the best word for it is 'scandal', although 'gossip' is more appropriate."

She felt a twinge and lied, "It's nothing, Oakir. The Archduke can do as he pleases. He probably shouldn't have come to Arendelle in the first place, and now that he's made his move I know that he and I are clearly too different to have worked as. . ." Elsa trailed off so that she didn't have to say it. Truthfully, she had put quite a bit of consideration into who she was going to marry in the bast few days, because it was her duty as Queen to do so. And when the ball opened she made sure that her first dance was with the Archduke, to take another shot with the man who would be best for Arendelle.

It had gone fine. The dancing was a bit awkward because he wasn't great and she wasn't even good, but that part was all pretense anyway. They chatted a bit about diplomacy and themselves, with the Archduke particularly interested in her magic. They had separated at the end of the first song as propriety dictated. She went on to dance with her other suitors, and he went to eat. There was the bare minimum of food to be had, as per Elsa's instructions. From what she could piece together afterward, he had a brief argument with a servant and left.

Gone. Just like that he gave up on his pursuit of her hand in marriage. Captain Kahv had quietly come up to her an hour later to confirm that the Archduke was boarding the ship he had arrived on and heading home.

This Elsa could handle. Just because she forced herself to consider him for the good of Arendelle, that didn't mean she was emotionally invested in him in particular. But the talk, the constant chatter as to _why,_ that started to get to her.

"Elsa, remember when we talked about monks?"

It came out of nowhere because the Queen was lost in her thoughts and the blank canvas of the night sky, but the Prince's words broke Elsa out of her reverie. "Yes, why?"

"Well. . . I don't know, never mind. It's silly."

"No, it's okay. Tell me Oakir." She nudged him lightly, only to fear too late that she might have made him flinch away from her magic hands. If he was perturbed he didn't show it.

"Well, sometimes I wonder how they do it. How do they stay so. . . peaceful all the time? Like, they are people, and I'm a person, so if I could just do things the way they do them I could settle my mind to the point where nothing could aggravate or provoke me. It's like always being at peace. Do you know what I'm talking about?"

"Yes," Elsa said truthfully. "Yes I do."

"Do you have any ideas how to do that?"

She smiled ruefully and shook her head. "No, I don't. That's something I've been trying to figure out for a while now." Her magic was on her mind, but she was getting the feeling they weren't on quite the same page and she moved her hands palm-up in explanation.

"Oh," Oakir said. "I asked a priest once. He said it was all about giving yourself to God. He said if I followed the Commandments, confessed the things I had done that went against them, and paid for each of those things I would be at peace with myself and be fit to enter Heaven if I died. But. . . it's not like that. That doesn't stop people from acting rashly or doing bad things, because if it did then people would only need to go through that once. Then they would be in a perfect state of mind and they wouldn't ever do anything bad again, and therefore would never need to confess again before they died."

"Yeah. . . I never really got the whole religion thing," Elsa said. "I spent so much time in books that when the Royal Minister started teaching me about God I thought it was another story. I never really got it ironed out that I was supposed to think of Him as real and all around us until it was too late and I. . . I guess I just didn't."

"You. . . don't believe in God?"

Elsa realized she had said _way_ too much. Could she backtrack? If she smiled, laughed, and said she was kidding could she slip it past this man?

And more importantly, did she want to? Her answer to that came pretty quickly. No, she didn't want to. It might not have been a good idea to venture into this territory, but now that she was here she was going to plant her flag and see if she could make the best of the situation.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you," she said sincerely. "But I do know what you mean when you think about, like, steadfast people. People who are centered, who know themselves and trust that they will take the right action in any given situation. If only I could be like them, I could control my powers. It takes a mental effort for me to be strong like that. . . but it gets easier every time, I've noticed. Now that I'm talking with Anna again, it gets easier."

"Yes! And another thing I remember thinking at the time, I was talking to this priest and I was wondering how he could ever understand. There are certain situations that he had lived that I never would, be at the same time there were similarly situations that I faced that he would never be confronted with. Like, being a priest is an easier route when it comes to being socially strong; it's almost a self-fulfilling prophecy. They can say how it's so easy, and all you need to do is follow God, they don't have family breathing down their neck to mar-"

Prince Oakir stopped dead and a furious blush broke out over his face. Elsa couldn't help but let out a tinkling laugh, but she stopped short so she would not do his ego any lasting damage.

"Okay," he said after a moment. "I'm going to run through that one more time, and try to clear up what I just said. Being a steadfast person, who is. . . I don't know surefooted? We're not literally talking about standing up, but metaphorically surefooted. To be a person like that also has a lot to do with selecting the kinds of situations one allows themselves to get into." He looked Elsa in the eyes. "Specifically, nuns and priests have one less factor in their minds when they go about their day. They don't have to worry about being awkward around members of the opposite sex because they have sworn to never marry. They can only be so steadfast because they have a different life than, say, a Prince or a Queen. . ." he seemed like he was going to trail off, but tacked on a bit more just as Elsa opened her mouth. "They can't possibly empathize with a Prince or a Queen, people who are so often maneuvered into situations where they are expected to be surefooted, but never given any idea of _how_ to be surefooted."

"Oakir. . . that was rather surefooted. Now, as much as I hate to say this, I have to get back to the ball. I have other suitors. As you said, we've been maneuvered into this situation, and the same forces that put us together are going to tear us apart in a moment. But. . . I enjoy our conversations, Oakir. We should talk again sometime. Perhaps tomorrow, for lunch?"

"Y- yes, of course. As, uh, as you wish, Your Highness." He stood, took her hand, and took a bow that elegantly put his lips upon the back of her hand.

They walked back to the party, where Elsa braced herself to endure overhearing the many conversations that were all subtly about her.

* * *

><p>"So, what <em>did<em> you say to Captain Herald?"

Another Council meeting was coming to a close, it mostly having been High Chancellor Lady Urdea reporting on the logistics of getting the Castle's food stores to those who needed it. Elsa's suitors had been mentioned but she hadn't felt her lunch with Oakir was worth mentioning, and there was similarly no developments with the potential war brewing with the Southern Isles and Weselton. But Elsa paused from rising out of her seat as Urdea innocuously asked about the City Guard Captain that had been mentioned in the previous council.

"I. . ." Elsa wasn't sure what to say. She was unprepared for the sudden question, and with people like her councilors everything had a reason behind it. What could she be playing at? The rest of the councilors were filing out of the room, and Elsa caught Ser Teon glancing back at them. "Why do you ask, Lady Urdea?" With that she brought up the defense of titles and formality without killing the line of inquiry out of hand.

The High Chancellor smiled. "Your Majesty. I was simply curious as to how you handled him. I thought the treatment of the ranting man was important, and you seemed to share that."

Elsa eyed her, then sat down and gave her what she wanted. "The Captain met with me later that day, after the council meeting. I invited Governor Bisho to be there as well."

"Naturally," Urdea said, sitting as well.

"I asked the Captain about the 'ranting man' down by the docks. He said his guards had shooed him away from the docks, but he'd turned up in the town square, still being a nuisance. Because he didn't back down he was arrested there for speaking treason, and when they detained him he took a swing at the guard. They hit him a few times, but didn't beat him mercilessly. His trial is in a few days. I explained to Captain Herald that if we give the people reason to resent us we will have a revolution on our hands in short order. He. . . rudely asked me what else he was supposed to have done, and I told him that trumped-up, fear-laced charges such as treason will not be accepted in the future. If such situations arise again, he had better handle it with a lighter hand or I will find a new City Guard Captain who knows the value of tact."

"How did Bisho react to that?"

"How do you think? He would jump in the sea if I told him to. I just wanted him there in case the Captain got unruly and claimed that I didn't technically have power over him. Proper channels, and all that."

"Well played."

"Thank you. Now, _why_ do you ask, Lady Urdea?"

The woman sniffed, but she obliged. "Alright, yes yes. There are a few council members who have certain ideas on how this country should be run, and I think they are in line with yours."

Elsa nodded, slight scowl gracing her face. "This is, of course, as opposed to how Ser Teon, General Seth Ra, and Captain Kahv think Arendelle should be run?"

"Now, I wouldn't lump the General in with the rest of them, she gave very good council to your father. She evaded the last war with Kiel. That would have set our country back decades. We might disagree, but I wouldn't count her an enemy."

"But you would have me see Ser Teon and the Captain of my Queensguard as enemies?"

"Yes," Lady Urdea said simply. "I'm not saying difficult decisions will never come to you, but have you noticed they put you into situations where it is either their way or a bad way, instead of counseling all of the potential options as they should? Why are we not instructing the food merchants to give out their stores? Because Ser Teon argues that it would make them angry. This famine could be sowing the seeds of revolution, and Ser Teon councils for the merchants over the serfs that are starving in the streets. He would have us call upon our allies for something we could easily take care of ourselves. And what if Weselton and the Southern Isles declare war? Will Kvenland and Hamburg and the rest heed the call for swords when it comes from a nation that just a month before asked for food?

"Your Majesty, I know that you mislike the idea of your council being divided against itself. I've seen the frustration it brings you. But did I not lead this country for three years in your stead? I know it's not perfect, but these divisions are not personal, as much as they seem to be. They are differences in how we think Arendelle should be ruled. If one group or the other is in power, it affects the entire country's decision making processes."

"I see. So you're saying that even though it would be nice to think of Arendelle as one unified nation, to do so is to ignore the fact that we are many people comprising one idea?"

"Yes. Exactly, Your Majesty."

"And I should embrace one side or the other in this subtle, internal war for dominance?" The High Chancellor winced at that, so she amended, "Specifically, your side."

More cautiously she responded, "Yes, Your Majesty."

Queen Elsa rose. She was going to be late for lunch with Oakir if she didn't hurry. "High Chancellor, I thank you for counseling me. These are the kinds of unwritten rules that I can only learn from experience, and I don't have time to build up that experience myself through trial and error. But I can't make a decision right now. I hope you understand."

"I do indeed, Your Majesty. Good day."

"Good day."

* * *

><p>Five minutes later, Elsa was in the dinning hall. She had decided to forgo her ice dress, despite it being the most comfortable and beautiful attire she had. Today she had worn a more traditional dress of the green and purple of Arendelle.<p>

Prince Oakir was already there, sitting along the side of the long table near where Elsa and Anna usually took their meals. It was the dinning room for the royal family and all of the guests being hosted, so there were others there as well. A man from Kvenland and another from Fredrikstad were talking over their simple meal. The delegation from Hamburg was there as well, their suitor Viscount Eric von Hamburg cheerfully playing with his young cousin Otto Leopold.

Everyone rose when she entered, and the bows were interspersed with murmurs of "Your Majesty."

Elsa gave the all a smile and a wave. Then she sat at the head of the table near Oakir.

"You look lovely today, Queen Elsa."

"Thank you Prince Oakir. You look dashing yourself."

Just then one of the servants brought Elsa her meal; a simple but hearty stew, cheese, bread, and wine. And it brought to mind the nature of the meeting. "So, my Prince, how does one handle a famine?"

"Uh, I. . ."

After a few failed attempts at finding his tongue, Elsa decided to be merciful. "It's alright, Oakir. I don't expect you to be able to solve this problem for me in a discussion over lunch. I ask for your thoughts, that's all. Consider it a hypothetical. If you were in Kvenland and there was a harsh winter followed by a drought in summer, what would you do about it?"

"I would immediately ask someone how much food there is and how long it could feed my people for." He gestured to his own plate. "A tactic you've already put into action in your situation."

"Hmmm, not quite. I've distributed food from the castle's larder, yes, but I still may be forced to seize the nation's food stores and ration them out. I have been counseled against that. The situation doesn't seem as dire as that yet." Elsa spoke softly, taking another bite of food when she was done. She was willing to broach these topics with the Prince because she wanted to learn how he handled them, but it would be best not to let her rival countries' dignitaries know of Arendelle's dealings.

"Well yes, it is an extreme measure, and I suppose it therefore should be reserved for only extreme situations. I know there are some who would consider angering the food merchants and the lords as an option to consider before inconveniencing themselves. It is a mindset that I must admit I was beholden to myself at one point, but no longer." He finished off his bread and downed the rest of his wine. "I've got a new respect for the feeling of hunger, and those that are truly its victims. I don't think leaving a plate unfinished will ever sit right with me again."

"What of war? If two or more of Kvenland's rivals were known to be in communication, possibly planning an attack, what would you do?"

Oakir did not fail to notice her hushed tone, and asked, "Elsa, why are we talking about this? It's. . . not as pleasant a conversation as other topics we could be on."

"You are courting me, are you not?"

He blushed. "Yes, Your Majesty. I am."

"Well, you have managed to gain my attention. But I'm not going to consider anyone who would make a bad King. Looking ahead into a hypothetical future, would you be a good king for Arendelle? If I die at the hands of a mob two winters from now, would this country be in good hands?

"Now, Oakir, I'm willing to share with you some of the things that are on my mind because I can see a future where they would be your concerns as well. I want to know how well you can handle these concerns before I've put the lives and wellbeing of my people at risk. There is much more to this courtship business than just getting me to like you, I need to know the kind of man you are."

"I see." The young Prince looked a bit shaken, and for the first time she stopped to consider his age. He was, what? Seventeen? Eighteen?

"Oakir, have you ever been in love before?"

"I. . . I don't know, Elsa."

She smiled at that. "Someday you'll have to explain that. I don't know either, the nervousness I feel around you isn't something I would call love, but rather the sort of girlhood crush I never thought I was capable of. But I've seen it, love. And I've seen people who think they are in it. It's very difficult to tell them apart. Do you know the events of my Coronation?"

"Not in detail, but yes."

"Prince Hans said all the right things to my sister, and before the night was through he had her ready to marry him. He courted her very effectively. What she thought she felt was love. And it was, in a way. On her part it was. But love is not a feeling, it's an understanding between two people." Queen Elsa looked into the Princes eyes as she said it. "Anna and Hans did not have an understanding. He acted exactly as he was supposed to, right up until he tried to kill us and take the Crown for himself."

Oakir felt compelled to fill the silence after that, and said, "My Queen, I assure you that I have no intentions of beguiling you. I- I'm often far to nervous around you to even speak, let alone come up with lies."

"I know. That's why you've taken my interest. You're honest, and you've got ideas on some things that are pleasantly aligned with my own. Being surefooted, for example. It's not possible to always be surefooted, even for a priest or a Queen or a parent or the kind of person who is _supposed_ to always be surefooted. . . we've established all this. But what happens the first time I come to you after a Council meeting, a bit shaken by the strain of my position, a bit unsure of myself? What happens if I let my guard down around you and show you that I'm not steady on my feet?"

"I try to help as best I can," prince Oakir said honestly.

Elsa smiled. "Thank you. Because that's what's happening right now. I just had a council meeting before this lunch, and I realized that my High Chancellor and my Master of Coin have splintered my council along uncertain lines. Lady Urdea mentioned that my views fall closer to hers than Ser Teon's, and I don't know what to do. I am. . . not on stable footing here."

After a moment he said, "Elsa, I think what you need is a rest. You are very good at what you do. That's a problem. A person can't function at such a level forever. You need to take a step back and just relax. Ah," he caught her with a look. "I know you're queen. These are all problems that need to be addressed, that _you _need to address. I know that's what your situation demands. But Arendelle isn't going to fall apart right this minute. You won't be surefooted until you've taken the time to collect yourself and get your mind off of all this pressure for a moment."

"I- can see some wisdom in this."

"So with that said, you look like you're almost finished with your lunch. Would you like to play a game of chess afterwords?"

"Yes, I would. But I can't, I have a meeting with Lord Teon that he doesn't know about. I'm going to see if he might be a threat to me in the future, and what qualities I should look for in a Master of Coin if the position opens up. It's not something that can be delayed. But I should be free around seven tonight, will that work?"

His look of exasperation turned to an appeased smile. "Certainly."

"Good. And one last thing before we part, Prince Oakir."

"Yes, Queen Elsa?"

"You have earned my trust. Few people know about this trust I have in you, if any. But they will. I was approached today by the High Chancellor, the woman who I thought ran this country before my Coronation, and asked me to ally with her in a ploy against a member of my own Council. This is the world of titles and land and money and power, Oakir. I know you don't intend me harm right now. But there will be times when you could betray me, even accidentally with just a slip of the tongue. Don't. You need to recognize when people are trying to get you alone, when they are needling you for information, and how to not give them what they want. Can you do that for me?"

He looked resolute. "Yes, Elsa. Yes I can."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> I've done a lot of research for this story, although to be honest it's just been to satisfy tangents of thought that this story sends me down in the first place. But I bring it up because I slipped in a reference to a very important person in this chapter. Like, real fucking real-life important person. Like, the-world-is-the-way-it-is-today-because-of-this-real-life-very-important-person.

But I won't have it said that I don't value a knowledge of history, nor that I don't reward those who wield it. Guess who and I'll give you a lemon early. ',:j

**EDIT: **I'm never going to tell who it was publicly. Feel free to keep guessing, and I'll try to stick to my promise of lemons. I may or may not write more lemons anyway, but giving away the answer would be too much of a spoilsport. :P Also holy shit guys did you know the winter that Elsa causes might be a reference to an actual weather event? Look up Year Without A Summer. I reference it in chapter 6 because how could I not? Throws off the timeline a bit though (I thought the canon was 1820's and not 1816, which is important for the hint about the historical reference in _this_ chapter) so I'm going to assert that the events of Frozen take place after the historical Year Without A Summer.

**EDIT 2:** I accidentally uploaded chapter 3 here instead of this. I am sorry. I'm an idiot.


	5. Warm Me Up

**Chapter Five: Warm Me Up**

"Your move."

Elsa found that Prince Oakir was pleasantly good at chess. She considered the Bishop that was threatening her Queen. If she saved her Queen it would put her in check. Not checkmate yet, she would still had some breathing room. But her next few moves would be completely dictated by him as she scrambled a defense of her King. And if Oakir had thought that far ahead, he might have the game then. He showed that he was capable of thinking ahead, his last stab through her defenses with a Rook, Knight and pawn backed by his Queen had been well planned. She wasn't willing to put him in control. If she took the Bishop his Knight would take her Queen, but in two moves she might be able to-

"You're making me nervous, Elsa."

"Wait, what? What did I do?" She looked around for traces of ice and snow.

"No, not like that," he backtracked with a smile. "I mean the game. When you focus that hard. . . it's a scary sight to behold, especially when I know I'm on the wrong side of that cunning."

"Oh." She smiled in return. "That's reasonable, then." She moved her Queen to take his Bishop.

"Yes, it is. Particularly when you do things I don't expect." After a moment, he committed and took her Queen with his Knight. She immediately moved a pawn to threaten that Knight, which moved it out of the way of her Bishop. He didn't see it and the Knight retreated, ready to go in for the kill on her King in a few moves.

She took his Queen with her Bishop and looked up at him.

"Well played, Your Majesty."

"Thank you, my Prince."

He looked down at the board so that his blush wouldn't show. ". . . That's not playing fair."

"You're right, but sometimes you have to play dirty to win. And how am I supposed to get good at playing dirty if I can't practice? Your move."

He moved his second Knight in to try and counterattack her Bishop. "What do you mean practice?"

"Well, there are certain diplomatic advantages that charm has over intimidation. I need to practice."

They were alone in the library and Elsa had a wicked idea. She slipped her foot from her shoe and brushed it along Oakir's ankle under the table. He looked up at her, then around the room. It was her turn so she turned her eyes back to the board, but she continued to lightly rub her foot against his. With his attack foiled she began the process of mobilizing an offensive of her own.

She took a pawn, looked him in the eye and said, "Your move." She wondered if he would get what she meant.

He moved a rook backwards. She was certain it had little rhyme or reason to it, distracted as he was. She moved a pawn forward.

"Prince Oakir, earlier I asked you if you've ever been in love."

He swallowed.

"Would you care to tell me more about that, now that we have the opportunity?"

"Not really, no. I don't feel like ripping off that scab right now, thanks. Your move."

"I. . . I'm sorry, I shouldn't pry."

"No, it's something that we should probably talk about if we- Well, we'll talk about it sometime."

"Alright."

"It's your move."

Elsa had forgotten about the game when the tone changed, and looked back at the board. But she couldn't remember what was going on with the arrangement of contrasting pieces. Before they traded Queens she'd had a plan, but it had been put on hold when he got close to putting her in check. It had hinged on her Bishop, but that was out of place since she'd used it to take his Queen, and now it wasn't as valuable because the battle lines of pawns were blocking too many black squares. Her other Bishop would be useful now, but she'd lost that earlier. And while she thought she couldn't get rid of the sinking feeling in her stomach that told her she'd fucked up.

Elsa took a breath, then looked up and said, "I'm going to be honest, Oakir. I've lost my footing. I'm sorry." She feared for a brief moment that her magic was getting the best of her, but it wasn't.

He smiled and softly said, "You don't have to be sorry for losing your footing, Elsa. It's something that happens sometimes. It's something that I do often, to be honest. But I think that's the value of things like games," he gestured to the pieces on the table between them. "It's like a ball, but with fewer people. When everyone knows the rules and the motions, there is always a pattern to fall back on if things get awkward. It gives form to. . . to socializing. Interacting with other people. If a person ever loses their footing, there is guaranteed to be something to do to move things along until the tension passes."

"So it's like formal speech. It gets in the way more often then not, but it's a useful shield when you need it." She stopped and thought, then asked, "You specifically asked to play chess with me yesterday. . ."

"Yes. And I did so because if there was an awkward silence, there would be something to smooth it over. I've noticed that if there isn't something to do, I tend to leave social situations. If I provided something to do things might go better."

". . . Well played. And thank you. I've noticed the same of myself, my first reaction to losing my footing is running."

He sighed. "And that's sometimes the best option, Elsa. Anyone with some empathy will accept if you say that you need to leave. Would you like to call it a night on good terms? We can, if you want. I understand."

Elsa frowned. "I wanted to know who's better at chess though."

Oakir laughed at that, and she couldn't help but laugh a bit with him.

"Then we should leave this game until a time when we're both up to it. I, for one, am not."

"Alright. So what have you been up to recently?"

"Well, my brothers have all had mixed reactions to, uh, our meetings. They've noticed our dances last two or three songs instead of one, and today. . ." He moved on quickly. "It's been all I can do to fend them off. I wish I could say I am around you so often for altruistic reasons, but that wouldn't be the only truth."

"Oh? And what would the other truths be?" Elsa asked him through her lashes.

"That you're like a talisman that gets them off my back. Viktor, well lets just say he isn't pleased that his third brother has a chance with a Queen where he can't. He keeps asking what you find in me, but I don't know if he expects me to answer or if he's just being an asshole." His eyes went wide. "I- I am sorry, Your Majesty."

"Oakir," she laughed, "I'm a grown woman. I don't need to be fucking sheltered."

He looked taken aback, but he laughed as well.

"Like I said with formal language, it's more of a burden than anything. I do away with it whenever I can. The same applies to the stupid fear of words. I still can't stomach how people react any time they hear 'treason.'"

"There's a joke my family's lawman once told me. My brother Dane got into a bit of difficulty in Fredriksted and 'treason' was mentioned. Rob, our lawman, mentioned that legally it is defined as doing something a powerful person doesn't want you to do, or not doing something they wanted. You get the picture."

"Yes, unfortunately I do. But what is this business with Fredriksted? Did it hurt your relations with them?"

"Not severely, no. It- Well, it was similar to your situation with Hans, but on a much smaller scale. My brother wasn't intent on a crown, but he did get close with a member of the royal family. And it wasn't love he intended. When he was called back to Kvenland they were heartbroken, and accusations were thrown around. I. . . I can't really say more than that, Elsa. It's a family matter. I'm sorry."

Elsa grimaced. "I understand. It might be something I need to know in the future, though."

He looked confused. "Why?"

She sent him a meaningful look.

"Oh."

"I-" a nervous laugh escaped, but Elsa tried again. "I really don't like bringing up the fact that I have other suitors, but as far as diplomacy goes. . . Fredriksted is a more valuable ally to Arendelle. Particularly their army. We might need it soon, if the Southern Isles and Weselton decide to go to war with us over the recent events. As far as you and I are concerned, I definitely cannot risk offending Fredriksted. So we can let it rest for now, but if we do, you know. . . " Elsa wasn't even remotely looking at him anymore. "If we proceed further than we are now in this courtship, I'll eventually need to know."

"I can accept that."

"Alright."

The moment of silence made it clear they'd lost their footing.

"So what should we do with the game? Put it away?"

"We could put it away if we want to start fresh next time me play. Or, if you think it is a bad idea to leave unfinished business, we could keep the board as it is now and pick up where we left off."

"Eh, I think starting fresh is the better option."

"Alright."

"And besides, I always wanted to do this," Elsa said as she leaned forward and brushed the carefully arranged pieces off the table. She looked up at Oakir's stunned face. It was a giddy sort of giggle that he got from her in response. "That was probably only fun because I wasn't supposed to do it." Her mirth infected him and he couldn't help but chuckle.

She could call a servant to pick up the pieces. She was Queen now, no one would bat an eye at it. But after years of being isolated from the staff and doing things her self, it just didn't occur to Elsa as she pushed her chair away from the table and got down on the floor to start picking up the chess pieces.

"See, this is _why_ we don't throw our toys all over the floor," Oakir said as he came down to join her. She huffed, a smile gracing her face. For a few moments they collected the painted wooden figures.

"Do you have a white Knight?"

"Not if we're talking about chess pieces."

Elsa found the piece in the shadow of a table leg and rose again, then realized what he'd said and looked down at the Prince. "Wait, what did you say?" she asked coyly.

"I said 'not if we're talking about chess.'" He looked up at her and for some reason her body felt the need to make her face turn red.

She held a hand out to assist him and said, "Please, white knight. You're a man like any other." He took her hand and stood. "No matter how well you control yourself you still want one thing in particular, and that's not very _pious_ at all, 'o white knight."

Elsa hadn't looked away from his face since setting the last of the wooden figures on the table, so she could not for the life of her figure out how they had come so close without her noticing. His hand was still in hers, and she registered that her heart was beating very fast and her breath was caught in her throat.

She took the dive and leaned in, their lips coming together gently. But gently seemed wrong. 'Gently' was not the proper release, not the proper expression of the sudden tension in her body. As her lips opened to deepen the kiss Elsa felt like ravishing this man who dared stoke the fire of her lust, a fire that had been building since she'd slipped her shoe off half an hour before. Her hands found his arms, then one slipped to his neck as the other found its way to the small of his back to bring their bodies oh so deliciously closer.

They broke apart and the Prince slipped slightly, holding her for support. They looked down and the floor was a slick sheet of ice.

"Sorry about that," Elsa said. She channeled the raw heat of her emotions at that moment and in a blink the ice on the floor and the chill in the air was gone.

"Wow," Oakir said.

"The magic, or. . . ?"

"Uh, both," he said sheepishly. "To be honest, you control it so well that sometimes I forget you even have powers."

Her hands turned to ice and she made sure they weren't near him. Just then he leaned in to claim her lips again. She pulled her head away, but did not unwind their bodies.

"What's wrong? Did I say the wrong thing?" he asked. "I- I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"Oakir, I just need a moment." She'd felt a pang of concern that his desire for her was gone because of her powers. But that obviously wasn't true, because he'd leaned in to kiss her again not a second later. A deep breath and her hands were clear of ice again, but her fire was dying down. Elsa opened her cerulean blue eyes to see worry in the gray eyes that met her gaze. Then she brought her lips to his again.

The fluttering in the pit of her stomach was the same, and when his hand made it's way first up and then back down her back that fluttering turned into a roaring inferno of need between her legs.

How far could this go? She'd done things with Ragnvale- or whatever his name was, she'd done things with the blacksmith that had felt amazing and released the kind of need that was building in her now. Could she do those things with Oakir? How far was _he_ going to want to go? And they couldn't do this in the library, certainly.

Elsa broke the kiss and looked around, then put a more appropriate distance between them. "Oakir," she said. She had to clear her throat rather harshly before she could find her voice. With a tone that she hoped was sultry she asked, "If I find a place for us to be alone you wouldn't dare tell anyone, would you? Not your pestering brothers, not as a boast that you bed a Queen when you're out drinking, not ever. Right?"

His eyes went wide. "Elsa, I don't know if we should."

It wasn't the answer she'd been hoping for. A thousand questions came to her lips about how in the world he could possibly not want to give in to this heat, this burning desire, but all that came out was, "Why?"

"Let me put it this way. . . are you normally good at Chess, Elsa?"

"Yes. Very. How is this relevant?" she asked coldly.

"We can't play chess right now for the same reason that we can't. . . do that, right now. We're not thinking straight."

"You are!" It was an accusation, no doubt about it.

But it glanced off him like a snowball. As his eyes broke their gaze to rake down her body in the most lecherous leer she'd ever received, Prince Oakir said, "Believe me, Elsa. No I'm not." A hand raised from her side to hover over her breast, and then very pointedly lowered again. "Elsa, we've gotten swept up in lust. We're not making decisions based on what is best for us, we're thinking only about what feels so," he brushed up and down her side, "so very good."

"I know. But so long as we're careful we will be fine."

He rolled his eyes. "I'm sure we could find a place where we won't get caught, but what about the other things?"

"What other things?"

He looked like he wanted to pinch the bridge of his nose, but his hands weren't moving from her body. "Things like having to rush a wedding because of certain unexpected miracles," he said through clenched teeth.

Elsa wasn't thinking with her head, so when she asked it wasn't in the most diplomatic way. "Oakir, have you never done this before?"

He went scarlet and looked away. "No." But then his eyebrows furrowed and he turned back to her. "Wait, have _you_?"

"I- not like that, no. I'm still a. . ." She couldn't bring herself to say it for some reason.

She wasn't sure if there had been anger, but if it had been there it drained quickly, leaving his features nothing but confused. "No. What do you mean, 'not like that', then?"

"Oakir, it isn't a simple thing. There is plenty of kissing, and touching. . . there are ways to make each other feel- I don't know how to describe it, but there's no chance of _accidental miracles_."

His eyes were cold now. "But you have done this 'kissing' and 'touching' before, with other men?"

"_Man_. Oakir, do you trust me?"

His eyes narrowed. "I don't know."

That stung. She'd shown more than enough trust in him, and yet again he wouldn't do the same.

Elsa decided to double down. This was not Hans. He had earned her trust for a reason. If she could explain, everything would be fine. There was ice around them again, a result of the fear that she would lose him right now if she didn't explain well enough. After a breath, she began, "It happened once. Anna slipped her boyfriend into the castle, and she made him bring a friend along. We drank a bit and Anna and Kristoff started making out. They've never done more than that, Anna said she wasn't okay with it going further. There was no chance of _that, _so I felt safe. And then Ragnvaldr," she didn't even stumble over his name, "and I were left pretty much alone, trying to not look at those two all tied up in each other, and I guess I wanted to feel like I had what they had. If only for a moment. It doesn't make sense, I know, We'd been drinking. But we started kissing and I felt. . . so good. He was a blacksmith, so we went to his forge. We didn't- I wouldn't let him do that. I'm Queen, I have to be a virgin. Always the fucking good girl. Having sex would have put any chance at marriage in danger. I wouldn't put Arendelle at risk like that, not even drunk on excitement and lust and alcohol. I know what I'm doing."

She didn't mean to get angry, Elsa meant to try and diffuse the situation. The last line came out defensive, regardless. Looking around, they were still alone. No servant had accidentally walked in on a confession that would have put a lot of heads that much closer to being on spikes.

"I've now told you far too much," Elsa continued, turning back to Prince Oakir. The realization of how true her own words were sent ice streaking across the floors and up the walls. "You could bring down my entire kingdom if you wanted to." She took a step back. This was the mistake Anna had made. It had seemed so foolish when her younger sister had done it, yet here she was.

"Elsa. . . I don't have any intention of that, and you know it. I just- I need some time to think and get back on my feet. Do you understand?"

Her heart didn't stop pounding, but it wasn't from fear after that. "Yes, I think I do."

"Then goodby for now." Prince Oakir gave the Queen a quick kiss on the cheek and left the library.

* * *

><p>"So how did your date with the Prince go?"<p>

"Anna! Ugh, Anna what are you doing in my room?"

"Waiting for you. How'd it go?"

"I froze his heart. His brothers from Kvenland are headed home now to call their banners and march on the castle."

"Oh hah hah. Seriously Elsa, is everything okay?" There was concern now on her sister's face.

There was enough feelings rolling around inside her that Elsa felt her magic building up, like ice water behind a dam in her mind. She wanted to sit, so with a wave of her hand she made a chair of ice and plopped down into it. "I don't know, Anna."

Her sister deftly pulled the chair from the vanity over and asked, "Elsa, do you need to talk about it, or would it be better not to?"

The Queen huffed. "We've already established that talking is the better course. I just don't feel like it right now, Anna."

"Okay. Then I will."

"What?"

"Today Kristoff and I went outside the city walls. He said he needed something for his next ice harvesting trip, but I think he just gets restless being in town for too long. There was plenty of people to talk to, but I noticed that some of them didn't want to talk to me. I'm glad Kristoff was there. But most of the people were really nice. I talked with this one woman who was running a shop that sold leather and hides while her husband made them. It smelled really bad, but she mentioned how business is picking up now that Weselton's cheap leather isn't being imported anymore. And I think if you'd been there she would have commiserated about the whole Hans thing."

"If I had been there, she would have been too busy stumbling over 'Your Majesty's and 'My Queen's to say anything. People can't talk to me the way they talk to you, Anna."

"I do," she retorted, sticking out her tongue.

"Yeah," Elsa sighed. "You always were weird."

"Oh shut up!" In a flash Anna pulled a pillow off the bed and launched it at her sister. Elsa blocked it unsteadily with one hand and then returned fire with a snowball, laughter ringing in her ears. But the second pillow caught her stomach and she fell back into the ice chair.

The sharp ice suddenly has shoots of red, and there was a stinging sensation along Elsa's right arm.

She hissed in pain.

"Oh my God, Elsa are you okay? Jesus I'm so sorry!"

"It's fine, Anna." The Snow Queen saw the slice that ran from her forearm to her elbow, the gaping flesh about a centimeter deep and the blood welling up unevenly along it. "Anna, go to Gerda from the kitchens and tell her what's happened. _Don't,_" she continued quickly as Anna jumped to her feet. "Don't. Panic. I'm going to be fine." She raised her arm. "This is not going to kill me."

Anna bolted from the room.

Elsa watched for a detached moment as the blood started to pool in the crease of her elbow. Then she took a breath and clamped her left hand over the cut to stop the bleeding.

That's when the pain really hit. A searing, throbbing pain. Elsa gritted her teeth and forced herself to remember that everything was under control. Gerda always knew what to do in these kinds of situations, and Anna was likely bolting as fast as she could through the castle to get her.

Every time she did anything the pain in her arm distracted her, demanding her attention and fragmenting her train of thought. "I wish Oakir was here," Elsa muttered to herself through gritted teeth.

Whether it was the pain, or the rush of confusion she suddenly felt when she said the Prince's name, her power started to overflow again. Her right hand frosted over, but with her left hand she was holding her wound. Cold started to sink into her arm and the pain subsided.

"Oh yeah. Cold." She took her hand away and the cut started welling up red blood again, almost angry against her porcelain skin and the snow white frost on it. The red lines that now ran down her arm made her feel a bit sick. With a bit more finesse she laid her left hand gently across the wound and made it colder. It made it sting even more for a moment, then gradually less. The fresh blood came slower. It was a start.

She took her hand away again and it was still bleeding. _I need bandages._ She knew how she made her ice dress, and with a wave of her left hand her right arm was sheathed in ice. Then, carefully, she pulled the magical woven ice tighter.

The blood started to soak through, but it made the pain less and the bleeding slower. Elsa scooted over to her bed with her arm cradled to her chest and laid back against the soft side of her mattress.

A few minutes later Gerda and Anna arrived and Elsa opened her eyes. The first thing she noticed was the maroon streaks on the arm of her ice chair, then the two women moving towards her. The portly matron who had cooked their food and treated their skinned knees and caught Anna sneaking around in the kitchens too many times to count cautiously took Elsa's wounded arm. There was a lot of blood on the ice wraps.

"Elsa dear, this was good but I'm going to need to take it off, okay? I need to see how bad it is."

The Queen wade a dismissive gesture and the ice vanished. Maybe five minutes after it happened and the flesh around the injury was violently red, and a bit swollen. But keeping it tightly wrapped had kept the bleeding to a minimum.

"I'm going to need to sew this. It's not going to be fun. Bishop John and the butcher are already on their way."

"The butcher?" Anna asked nervously. "Why did you call the butcher?"

"When you mentioned blood I figured I would need sheep's gut for stitches," Gerda said as she checked the Queen over for any other injuries. "Do you hurt anywhere else?" She shook her head. "Are you sure? It's not hard to miss a twisted ankle or a bruised hip after a fall, if you're distracted by other things."

Elsa felt her eyelids drooping. "I've had a long day, Gerda. I don't hurt, I'm just tired."

"No, that's loss of blood sweetie," the matron said with a snort. "Last week you called for dinner in your study at three in the morning, you don't 'just get tired.' But you're in good hands, and you did good keeping the wound tight and chilled. Let's get you into bed."

She smiled at that and let them help her up from where she sat.

"Gerda, is that the best idea?"

"She'll wake up just fine. We do need to clean her wound. I can't imagine anything being on that ice that would give her an infection, but it's always better to be safe."

"Are you sure? There's too much blood. This is all my fault."

"Anna," Elsa snapped. Her Queen voice was out now, fatigued as it was. "Accidents happen. If you hadn't been here to talk I would have been up all night worrying about. . ." she caught herself just before she said 'Oakir.' But it was Gerda. She didn't care. "Stupid boys," she finished.

"Heh. Yeah, they are stupid. But I still feel bad."

"Make it up to me by punching Oakir the same way you punched Hans."

"_Your Majesty,"_ Gerda said, obviously intent on stopping that conversation. "The last thing you need to wake up to is an international incident. Punching a Prince isn't a card that should be played lightly."

Anna had that look that she got she Gerda caught her sneaking into the kitchens in the middle of the night. "Hans deserved it."

"Yes he did." She turned to the Queen and continued, "And I doubt Prince Oakir did something to deserve such treatment."

Elsa made the look too.

The effort to stand had cleared her mind for a moment, but she was really starting to feel sleep nipping at her heels. She looked down and said, "Oh shit, I'm getting blood on my bed."

"And you'll get more on it when I sew you back up."

"But-"

"It's fabric, dear. It will be fine. It's a bitch to get out, but it won't be the first time Victoria has whitewashed bloody bedding. Now you rest."

Elsa didn't need to be told twice.

* * *

><p>It was only a few minutes later that Bishop John and Shteven the butcher arrived, moments apart. Anna told them to be quiet, but that wasn't what woke the slumbering Queen. After giving Gerda what she needed, Shteven left. The Bishop remained. When Gerda tried to tip her a thimble of poppy extract Elsa roll her head away.<p>

"It's okay, Your Majesty. It's okay. You need to take this. It will help you sleep."

She mumbled and scrunched her eyes, but the promise of sleep was the ticket. She drank.

Then Gerda turned to Anna. "Your Highness, you might want to leave now."

"No. Elsa is hurt, I will be here for her."

The matron didn't push the matter.

"How bad is it?" John asked.

"It should be fine, and I think there's little chance of infection. If it had cut through her clothes the cloth would be a concern, but it was her bare arm. And her own ice. . . I would think it's sterile as a fired needle." She was burning a candle and purifying needles as she spoke. "But I can't know that for sure. The poppy should have set in by now."

With a deft motion Gerda slipped a bit between the Queen's teeth, then set about washing the wound with spirits. Elsa screamed when the alcohol touched her arm and some part of Anna realized she couldn't accidentally bite her tongue. But the rest of her was nauseous, her stomach rolling at the bloodcurdling noise. It was more out of guilt for causing this and distress for her sister's pain than repulsion of the acts themselves. Gerda and the Bishop had carefully positioned themselves away from the Queen's hands and feet, and Anna realized as magic pooled in bubbling amorphic masses that she really should be more conscious of the danger her sister posed.

After that Elsa quieted, either because of the drugs or because the sewing of her flesh was less painful in comparison. Probably a bit of both. The magic died down to nothing but a frosting on the bedding. Gerda was quick and clean, and was done in no time. After that she carefully cleaned the blood off Elsa's arm and wrapped her in linen bandages. The Bishop busied himself with packing his various supplies of ointment for the bandages, alcohol, the needles and the bit.

Then under Gerda's direction Anna helped lift her sister while Bishop John pulled the bloody sheets and blankets off the bed. "Tell Victoria to come in as well," Gerda said as he made his leave.

The process of making the bed with Elsa still in it was interesting, but Gerda wasn't daunted. By this time it was late into the night and Elsa seemed to be coming out of the cloud of mind from the poppy extract because she reacted to the hushed activity.

Gerda said a few final words to the Princess. "If you notice she's getting a fever come get me at once, but she should be fine. She's not going to let this keep her down for long."

"Alright."

"Goodnight, Your Highness," Gerda said. Then she and Victoria left.

Since they'd gotten Elsa settled, Anna had been in the cozy chair from the vanity that she'd sat on earlier. There she fell asleep, watching over her sister.

* * *

><p><strong>LONG AN:<strong> So. . . my description may have been unintentionally misleading. The user xxxSimplyHookedxxx added this story to the "Conceal, Don't Feel" Hurt/Comfort Elsanna community. In case I mislead anyone, Elsa and Anna have a loving, sisterly relationship in this story. No incest. Sorry if that's what you were looking for. I've edited the description to be clear about this. There will be sex (appropriately walled off, with big "Do Not Disturb" signs on the doors in case you want the story but not the smut), just not that sex.

Felt like I needed to clarify that, especially if anyone is finding this story through that community and comes in with the wrong expectations. Also, I hope you guys and gals are really feeling the position Elsa is in as Queen, because it's one of the most interesting parts of Frozen that was sort of left as backdrop of the movie because of the need to be PG. It's one of the reasons why I'm still writing this. Elsa is such an amazing character, and writing in her headspace just feels. . . powerful. Gods she is something fierce. I may be taking the ice magic part of her too far and mixing in the character Storm from X-Men, or maybe I'm complimenting my ex girlfriend (whom this story is largely about). Sorry not sorry. As I said in the extended description in my bio, I'm trying to see things from her point of view. Going the rest of my life thinking of her as a heartless bitch isn't healthy, and it also isn't fair to her or me. So here's to you Jazz. *raises shot of Sailor Jerry's Caribbean Spiced Rum*

**EDIT:** Moved all these disruptive Author's Notes except the very first one to the bottom of chapters for a better reading experience.


	6. The Opposite of a Stopped Clock

**Chapter Six: The Opposite of a Stopped Clock  
><strong>

Chairs aren't comfortable for sleeping in.

Anna could sleep through just about anything, up to and including the tornado that had rocked the city when she was seven and even her sister's Coronation, almost. But with her cheek laid uncomfortably against the back of her cozy chair the slightest noise was enough to pull her from her slumber.

The sky was just brightening outside when Elsa groaned in her sleep and Anna's eyes flew open. More lithe than her usual self, she sprung up and went to the bed. With a mind for where her sister's hands were angled, she placed her own palm against Elsa's forehead. She didn't feel burning up. But she usually felt cold, so wouldn't normal temperature be a fever for Elsa?

The Queen made an uncomfortable sound again and rolled over. Anna was concerned, but she didn't think anything was required. She wished she could check if the bandages were bloody, but Elsa's arm wasn't in view and Anna didn't want to disturb her.

A glint caught her eye, a bit of morning light off the polished buttons on one of Elsa's dresses from the closet. Hmmm.

* * *

><p>Elsa stirred when she heard a muffled <em>thud<em>. She remembered there was something she was recovering from and was careful not to rise too quickly, but propping herself up on her elbows still made her a bit lightheaded.

The Queen looked up to see her closet door open and a mop of red hair half inside it.

"Anna, what. . . ?"

She didn't have to finish. "Elsa! Shit, I woke you up didn't I?" Anna frowned and immediately abandoned the closet to tend to her. "How's the arm? Are you bleeding any more?"

"My arm. Oh yeah," she said as she looked down. She was wondering why she felt off. Her right arm was tightly wrapped in white bandages. "Why are you here so early?"

They both glanced at the window before Anna poked out her tongue and said, "The sky's awake."

That made the Snow Queen smile. "Well I can't play right now, my head hurts. Maybe later today."

"I tried to figure out what time it is, but your clock is stopped." Elsa felt a pang at the mention of father's clock. "I didn't know until the sun started rising."

She remembered the dizzy feeling that sitting up had caused and asked Anna, "Could I get some water?"

Gerda had left more bandages, ointments, and a pitcher of water on the bedside table. Anna poured some for her.

"Elsa, I get it with your powers and all, but why do you have goblets with winter themes on them? It's summer, silly."

Elsa finished from her long draw of water and lifted the cup to inspect it. "I'm silly? It's just a goblet." She tried to continue with her thought, but she couldn't find the words. Then her eyes fell on her father's ornate clock on the wall. "It's like the opposite of a stopped clock."

"What?"

She held up the silver container of water. "A themed cup is like the opposite of a stopped clock. What does this do?"

"It holds stuff?"

"Yes. Does the pattern on the outside affect that at all?"

A glint of understanding sparked in Anna's eyes. "No. But what does that have to do with clocks?"

"Well, what does that do?" Elsa gestured to the aforementioned clock.

"Nothing."

"Yes, and no. Its intended purpose, to tell time, is _not_ its only function. If it were a cup, it would have a hole in the bottom. And yet it's there. What it does is fill up space on that wall and make the room more appealing as a whole." She didn't mention how father had given it to her on her sixteenth birthday. "It's the opposite of an out-of-season goblet. Its aesthetic is perfect, but it is unquestionably broken when it comes to it's original function. It's the opposite of this goblet, which is perfectly useful but doesn't fit for reasons completely unrelated to its intended purpose." The Queen noticed she'd slept in her ice dress from the day before and frowned. She glanced at her closet. "It's rather like fashion. The tacky, trendy stuff is all flash and no form. A nun's garb is functional but intentionally bland. Now a good dress," she said as she pictured it in her mind and gave her left hand a twirl towards the air, "a good dress is a unity of function and aesthetic."

Anna looked from her sister to the outfit she had just conjured, mouth slightly wide.

"What?" Elsa asked.

"I'm not sure if that was the most amazing thing I've ever heard or if the poppy is still wearing off."

* * *

><p>Prince Oakir heard the rumors that Queen Elsa was hurt the next morning with everyone else. He broke his fast quickly and started asking around the castle until he was directed to the person who was caring for her, a portly woman named Gerda who was busy in the kitchens making a thick soup.<p>

"My Pardon. I'm told you are the person to see regarding the Queen's condition." She looked up over the caldron, but her only respons was a critical gaze. "I was wondering if I could see her?"

"You're the boy she was all bothered over, aren't you?"

"She- what? Is she okay?" He was starting to get worried now. They'd left each other on less than ideal terms, but he certainly had thought they would continue seeing each other in the future. Now with this suddenly happening he wasn't as sure. What had happened? Was it related to how they'd left each other the night before?

Gerda rolled her eyes. "Yep, it's you." She went back to stirring her stew. "The Queen isn't vitally hurt, there was an accident and she fell on one of her ice creations. She cut her arm, but she'll be fine. As for seeing her. . . it wouldn't be appropriate for you to see her in her bedchamber, would it, suitor?"

"No, I suppose not," he said, starting to feel a bit defensive. He just wanted to talk to her.

"I'm glad we _understand_ each other. There's three guards, one at each end of the corridor that leads through the Royal wing, and one at the bottom of the wing's main stairwell. They will do everything in their power to stop any unwelcome princes from seeing their Queen."

"Um. . ."

She simply looked at him as her hands went about preparing the meal. It was a meaningful look, then she turned and yelled, "Victoria, the Queen's breakfast is ready!"

Another lady, shorter but with more grace in her movements. She had what he would have called 'platinum blond' hair if he had never set eyes on Elsa. Prince Oakir took that as a dismissal and made to leave the room, but seeing an opportunity he carefully stalled by pretending to take interest in the massive cookfire.

Gerda mentioned, "Come on, I don't want it to be cold by the time she gets it." It was but moments until Victoria had a tray made and set off. Prince Oakir stopped inspecting the stonework and made for the door himself, then pretended to only just then notice the servant was leaving. He held the door, which earned him a thankful smile, and turned off the opposite way she went.

Then he glanced back. She turned left. He quickly and quietly made for the same corner, then poked his head around.

There were plenty of doors and another intersection just downward, and no Victoria to be seen. She was gone. Shit.

He rushed around the corner and kept his ears open as he went. Down the next right he thought he heard something. The Prince headed that way and tried to act casually when he passed forks and confusing passages and occasionally confused servants.

The third intersection was a choice between a turn to the left or straight. He walked through and looked to his left to see Victoria's burgundy dress. He paused as she made a comment in passing to a guard and then disappeared up a stairwell.

Oakir continued down the passage so that he was out of the guard's sight and considered. He might be able to get past the first guard if he distracted him somehow, but there was still a guard at the top of the stairs. He knew vaguely where he was, having seen the Royal balcony from outside. Dammit, how could he get in to see Elsa?

* * *

><p>Elsa wasn't allowed to leave her room for the rest of the day. No matter how many "I'm the Queen, I need to <em>this"<em> or "I'm needed for_ that_" Gerda wasn't hearing it. Eventually she accepted her fate, but once the matron was gone to make breakfast Anna finished the sacking of her closet. The new ice dress Elsa had made had been put on a mannequin until she was well enough to try it herself. Anna had pulled it out of the back of the closet, along with an old changing screen.

As far as ball gowns went, Elsa had maybe a dozen that were tailored specifically for her. But then there was the lion's share of mom's wardrobe that she'd inherited, and maybe another eighteen or twenty from when she'd been younger that didn't fit anymore. Then there were more casual dresses and outerwear and proper riding cloths that she'd never worn. It was quite the adventure, Elsa hadn't realized just how many thing in her closet had never been given a second glance.

They were brought up a thick soup and glog with hearty bread about an hour after sunrise and Gerda's insistence on resting. There was no meat in the food, but Gerda could make a fantasy meal out of nothing but butter and lettuce if she needed to. After she had some food in her Elsa felt better and got up, both to join in on the fun and to get out of the dress she'd had to sleep in.

"Ooo, try this one on," Anna said, handing her one of mom's red ball gowns.

"So. . . Anna."

"Yes?"

"Are you okay? With. . . with the whole Hans thing?"

"Pshhh, are you okay with Oakir? I think that's more important right now."

Elsa took a moment to adjust how the red fabric hung from her shoulders, then said, "I think so. I just. . . I'll need to talk with him, apologize for what I did."

"You never mentioned what happened, by the way. You said you didn't want to talk about it."

Elsa was almost done and peaked around the screen. "And you didn't answer me about Hans either." She poked out her tongue at her sister, then said, "Alright, how do I look?

"Damn."

"What?"

"Elsa, you're freaking _saucy_."

She laughed. "You've said that before, what does it mean?"

Anna raised an eyebrow and a grin ghosted across her face. "You know what it means. It means 'I wish I could pull that off because Kristoff would never look at another woman ever again.'"

"Please, Anna," she said with am eye roll of her own. "Don't be ridiculous."

"Check the mirror if you don't believe me."

She walked over to the vanity. A fire queen looked back at her, the woman's gaze raking critically across her form. The dress was a bright red, enough to show the shadow just beneath her bust. It matched with the splash of blood that was starting to show through her linens on her arm. Her hair wasn't much, she hadn't done anything with it so it just fell loosely behind her.

"It could be better," Elsa said as she started pulling her hair into her favorite style.

"Oh, let me do it!" Anna said. "We haven't done each others hair since we were girls."

"Okay." They pulled the chair that Anna had slept in over and another behind that.

As she leaned her head back and let Anna braid it she said, "I brought up Hans because. . . well, I don't know if I ever told you about what happened that night, after I kicked you out of my ice palace"

"Oh."

"I. . . I know what he did, and that it is not something that any action could balance out. But that day, the two men from Weselton got past Marshmallow and came at me with crossbows ahead of Hans and the others. I barely managed to survive, it was just ice I conjured by reflex." She shuddered a little as she remembered seeing the crossbow bolt inches from her head. "When I realized I could use my powers to defend myself I pinned one of them to a wall. I didn't hurt him, I just put enough ice around him that he couldn't move. But the second one tried to get around to the side of me. I made a wall between us and pushed it towards him, further and further until he was out on the ledge of my balcony. I realized he wasn't going to stop for anything. He tried to kill me, and either he was going to succeed or I was going to stop him. I kept pushing him until he was right on the edge. I was going to push him off. . . so that I could survive. But then Hans arrived. He said, 'Don't be the monster they fear you are.' And when the pinned guard took one last shot at me, Hans grabbed him and made sure he missed. It hit the chandelier and I got knocked out anyway, but he _saved_ me, in more ways than one.

"I don't know why he did that, Anna. I know he planned on killing me at some point afterwords, along with everything else. But he saved me, and he stopped me from killing that man with my powers. I. . . I just don't know how to reconcile his actions and his motives. I guess as he walked into the room, in that split second he saw something to be gained from saying that and not allowing me to be killed."

"Wow. I- Elsa, I'm not sure what to say."

"You don't have to say anything. I just wanted you to know that, well, Hans was deceitful and ambitious and horrible, but he is the reason I don't have blood on my hands." She stopped to sigh, then changed the subject. "Anyway, I think I am good with Oakir. I need to apologize, but. . . how Gerda talked about him last night made me think. He's just a boy. A boy I could marry if I wanted to, but a boy all the same. If it doesn't work out that will feel like shit, but I've got like, heh, just under other sixty suitors to chose from."

"So what happened there? You said you argued."

Elsa felt heat on her face. "I. . . we kissed." Her sister gasped, a good kind of gasp with a smile and a look. "I kissed him, and just sort of lost myself," she said guiltily.

"Oh. _Oh._ Are you okay?"

"Yeah, he didn't. . . he didn't let it go anywhere."

"Wait, _he_ didn't?"

"Yeah." Elsa felt like disappearing into the mirror, and a rather heavy snowfall coalesced around them.

There was the gentle pull and tug on her hair as Anna braided it, then, "Elsa?"

"Yeah?"

"What if I told you that. . . no, nevermind."

"What?"

Anna finished off the braid and let her hands fall, so with a nudge Elsa shifted her chair so she faced her sister. "I know what you said," Anna started, "about me and Kristoff and, you know, _that_ stuff. I'm a princess, and this isn't something I can make mistakes on. But, what if I told you that Kristoff and I had. . . fooled around. . . and one thing led to another."

Elsa didn't have any inflection, she couldn't intentionally. Not with the snow suddenly falling around them. But she hoped her eyes showed understanding. "Did you. . . ?"

"Yes." Anna wiped her sleeve across her face.

"Oh Anna," Elsa said with a hug. "Are. . . are _you_ alright?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. It's just that, you know, you said I couldn't do that kind of stuff because of marriage prospects, and I said I wasn't ready," she glanced at Elsa, "which _was_ the truth at the time that I said it to you, and Kristoff said we shouldn't because I'm a princess, but it all just felt so _right_. And we just sort of got caught up-"

"Anna," she said to break her sister's rambling. "It's alright. Everything is going to be fine." She squeezed her sister again. "But you do have to talk with Gerda. If you get. . ." Anna sobbed at that into her shoulder. "Well I suppose we can rush a wedding, it wouldn't be the end of the world. But my point is I know Gerda can make a tea to, you know, stop it from taking."

"I already talked with Gerda about that. I went to her the morning after and she made it for me," Anna said as she came back to herself.

A pang ran through Elsa when she realized Anna had told Gerda before her own sister, but that was silly and she pushed the feeling away. "That's good Anna. I don't know much about this stuff, but I've heard that the sooner the better. Gerda knows what she's doing."

"She said there's still a chance. It's not a sure thing, the tea. I could be. . ." she didn't finish and tear started welling up again in the corners of her eyes.

"Everything is going to be fine. We'll get through this together, no matter what happens. Okay?"

"Okay," she answered with a slight smile. "I love you Elsa."

"I love you too, Anna."

They hugged once more.

"So, how do you want your hair?" Elsa said, trying to move the conversation to a better place.

"I don't care, anything."

"Good, because I only know how to do a french braid," Elsa said with a laugh.

"We can match," Anna said as she wiped her eyes again.

They switched seats and Elsa started unraveling a knot on the side of Anna's head. Only then did she put two and two together. "You slept here last night, didn't you? In this chair."

"Yes I did. My sister was hurt."

"Thank you for-"

_Clink_

The sound came from the windows. They looked over at it.

_Clink_

"What the. . . ?" Elsa said. As she got up her room swam slightly, but went to the door the opened out to the balcony. She caught sight of a small rock before it bounced off the glass with a slight scratch.

She opened the door and stepped out. By this time Anna was behind her. Elsa went to the stone railing and was promptly hit in the shoulder with another pebble.

"Ow. Who's throwing these?" she called as she looked over the edge.

The open courtyard was empty at first glance, with a few people going about their day out in the castle holdings. Then she saw a figure detach from the profile of a tree and saw it was Prince Oakir. Anna came up next to her and gasped a little.

"Oakir? What are you doing?"

"I'd heard you were hurt, but they won't let me come see you. I wanted to talk. To apologize for last night."

Elsa rubbed her shoulder and glanced around the courtyard again. This was far too public. It wasn't like a ball or a meeting in the library, he was standing outside her bedchamber window. If anyone saw, she wouldn't hear the last of it.

But Anna was already out on the balcony with her, so there was no hope of doing something sensible. "See the door at the bottom of that tower?" her sister pointed. "Wait until you see me, then go up one flight. We'll distract the guards."

A crease formed between Elsa's eyebrows and she rubbed it, her only sign of frustration. She followed as they went back through her room.

"Alright," Anna said conspiratorially, just before they stepped out into the hallway. "You go send the one at the end of the hall away for something, I'll get that one to escort me into the city. I'll be back to help you get him out in. . . hmmm, how long do you think you'll need?"

"Anna this isn't a good idea. It's so clearly not a good idea."

"You like him. He likes you. You fought, yeah, but now you both want to forget about that. This _needs_ to be done, or else you might not get another chance to talk to each other any time soon."

"We'll see each other tomorrow night at the next ball."

"_Elsa,_" her sister said, in a way that meant h_ow-could-you-think-like-that-it-isn't-nearly-the-same_.

"Fine. Give us twenty minutes."

Anna smiled. "An hour it is." She set off towards the tower that led down to the courtyard, the one she herself had used to get back into the castle after her talk with Kristoff. After a moment talking with him she led him down the stairwell.

Elsa seriously wanted to just go back into her room. When the second guard caught Oakir she could feign ignorance. Oakir would see how foolhardy this little stunt was and there would be no scandal for her to deal with. But although it would absolve her, that would likely put him in an even worse position. Especially if the magic words 'treason' or 'assassination' were muttered.

She went to the opposite end of the hallway and the guard there stood straighter as she approached.

"Sir, I-" She stopped. "Your name is Gerrik."

"Indeed it is, 'Mam." He smiled at her recognition. "We talked at the gate four days ago, or maybe five."

"You gave me good counsel." She didn't mention that her advisers were less than pleased she'd found out about that man at the docks. She had a thought and asked, "Tell me, Gerrik, can I trust you?"

"I- Of course, Your Majesty." He seemed slightly offended that she needed to ask.

"What if it went somewhat beyond your vows to protect me and my family?"

"I'm not sure what you mean, Your Majesty."

The wheels in her head were spinning, and she looked back. Oakir would be emerging from the door at the opposite end of the corridor any minute now. It might not matter as much as she'd thought, but better safe than sorry.

"My sister is likely to be back in a moment so I don't have time now. When is the next shift change?"

"In three hours, Your Majesty."

"Could you run and get another two cups of glog from Gerda? No need to bother Victoria, just bring it back with you yourself. And we'll talk more later. Before you change shift."

"I should abandon my post, Your Majesty?"

"Just for a moment. There's another guard at the bottom of this tower, right?"

"Aye."

"Well my sister will be back soon with the other guard. I'll be fine."

Still looking somewhat unsure, Gerrik left.

Not a minute later Prince Oakir emerged from the door at the far end of the hallway. Elsa saw him and slipped back into her room. He made to follow but was met with a shut door, so he knocked lightly.

"Come in."

* * *

><p>The Prince felt his throat constricting as he stepped through the doorway. From the balcony she'd only been an angry blur of red dress and white hair, but seeing her so close was difficult in other ways.<p>

Her ball gown fell past her knees, but a slit ran up one side that almost reached her hip. It was sleeveless, showing a white bandage that contrasted against her skin much less than the blood it framed.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"For?"

"For being. . . so perturbed by what happened last night. It just sort of knocked me off my feet, and I needed to get myself back together."

Her look softened. "I can understand that."

"Thank you."

"And I apologize for. . . for being so forward. It wasn't proper."

Oakir smiled. "Well I don't give a shit about proper. Formal language is more a barrier than a tool. It just was something I had to get used to the idea, is all."

Elsa raised an eyebrow. "This was more than a little foolish, however. I just told off Anna's boyfriend for pulling stuff like this. What if you're seen? And even if you aren't, Anna is never going to let me live this down. I'm supposed to be the role model Oakir."

That wiped the smile off his face. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty. That was too familiar of me. I just- I felt that I needed to see you."

She looked down at her arm, then held it out. "There it is. The source of your consternation. A cut. Gerda tended to it yesterday, and now I'm healing. I'm fine."

His eyebrows pulled together until they almost met. "Elsa, this cut," he gestured to her arm that was still held out, "is not my only source of consternation. Our. . . ." He seemed at a loss for words for a moment. "Our, uh, _courtship_ is also something that I worry about. Particularly after last night. I wanted to smooth things over."

Elsa's lips formed a hard line. "Yes, I can believe that."

"So. . . that's what I'm trying to do." He was losing his footing fast. "Yet you still seem upset, and I don't know what to do about that."

"And how would you react if I told you that there's nothing you can do to change how I feel?"

He opened his mouth, but the sinking feeling in his chest made him close it and almost reflexively take a step back, his eyes making their way towards the corner of the room. "I would likely be extremely disappointed," he somehow managed to say.

"You want to-" Oakir noticed her voice catch for a moment, but she didn't let the stumble stop her. "You want to 'smooth things over' with me. That is your intention. Thank you for being honest in that regard. But it seems our priorities are not in the same arrangement on some things. There is a ball tomorrow. We would have danced then. In fact I expect we still will. We will meet again in the future. You thought it was necessary to throw rocks at my window and sneak into my room to smooth things over?"

He couldn't reconcile what was happening with the passion and the daring he had seen in Elsa the night before, when she had closed the distance between their lips and made his stomach do somersaults. It was the only response he could muster, and only too late did he realize it might sound accusatory.

"But you seemed so eager to throw all that to the wind when-" Prince Oakir had to stop himself from physically slapping his hand over his own mouth. Elsa's shoulders rolled back, her hands fell to her hips, and her eyebrows disappeared into the fringes of her wild hair. "I'm sorry. You know I wouldn't say that harshly, Elsa. I'm just so confused right now. Oh man I've lost my footing _so_ badly."

She glared at him. It was a glare that he swore could have frozen him solid, but as distracted as he was he had the presence of mind to note the lack of precipitation in the room. Unlike him, she was on solid ground.

"You know, Oakir, if I didn't know you better that would have been it. This courtship would have been done." He saw a glimmer of hope. This wasn't a complete wreck? "I can see where you went awry, so let me make things crystal clear so that we don't have this miscommunication again. If and when we are ever alone together again and get caught up in- in certain feelings, that is one thing. Alone, with the ability to-" she cast out an arm and her closet door was frozen shut "-ensure our privacy, that is the kind of situation where we might, hypothetically, be able to forget about the fact that I'm a Queen and you're a Prince and our actions affect the lives of every person in a dozen mile radius.

"But in _every other situation_, we are not to let that fact slip from our minds. If you are _ever_ to be a King one day. . . ." She jabbed a finger and him and he flinched away, fearing an icicle through his heart that didn't come. Elsa saw the motion and her hand dropped like a stone. It was odd because distantly there was the faint clatter of something falling from somewhere. In a softer, shaky tone Queen Elsa finished, "If you're ever my King, you'd better not put some romantic gesture over my people. Are we clear?"

The door slammed open.

* * *

><p>Gerrik didn't agree with the idea that a loyal guard was a passive and unquestioning one. Not many of his commanding officers saw the trait in a favorable light. He knew it was risking his relatively comfortable life as a royal guard to question Queen Elsa's order to fetch her food. But his duty was to protect the royal family. Leaving the hallway completely unguarded seemed like enough of a breach to ask for clarification, and the Queen had been willing to oblige him and even reassure him. Fornol was going to be back soon, and Gendry was still at his post at the bottom of the royal wing's staircase.<p>

This is how the Queen's bedchamber came to be unguarded.

The guard had gone down to the kitchens as he'd been ordered, passing Gendry at the bottom of the stairs and quickly telling him to be careful. Then he'd got to the kitchens.

"Queen Elsa requires more glog, 'mam" he said.

Gerda turned to him and burst into laughter.

"I'm sorry," he said, confused. "I don't understand what's so funny."

"Honey, the Queen needs a lot more than glog. Oh wow," she chucked, almost to herself. "I didn't think he would actually do it, but damn."

"So. . . can I have some glog? Two cups, specifically?"

"She asked for two? But Princess Anna left, didn't she?" She started fiddling around with a cauldron then.

He narrowed his eyes. This wasn't the first hint she was eerily knowledgeable. "Yes, she did. But it just happened moments ago. How did you know that?"

"Oh, never you mind. You better get these to the Queen," she said, producing two cups of warm, spiced wine. "You know how she likes her glog," Gerda said with a heavy implication.

"'Mam, the Queen doesn't over drink. I can assure you, I've guarded the royal wing four times now since her coronation."

"I know, dear. I'm sorry. I'll stop messing with you." She handed him the cups and couldn't suppress a mirth filled smile. Gerrik was getting the feeling he was being laughed at.

With a curt but nonetheless formal parting, he made his way back to the royal wing.

"Wish I could have some," Gendry said as he passed.

"Heh. Maybe tomorrow at The Scarlet Candle."

Gerrik of the Royal Guard started up the staircase, then past his own post towards the Queen's bedchamber. He noticed immediately that Fornol's post at the opposite end of the corridor was still unoccupied. It made him uneasy the wing was so undefended, but Elsa had already placated him on that front. She was safe up here, with no one to bother her.

When he was maybe ten feet from Elsa's bedchamber door, he dropped the two cups of glog. He could hear the Queen. Muffled as she was through the door, he only caught a bit. ". . . slip from our minds! If you are _ever_. . . ." She was clearly distressed, and she was supposed to be alone. Someone had gotten past them, because he had been stupid enough to leave Her Majesty wounded and unguarded.

He pulled his sword from its sheath without hesitation and slammed the door open.

Queen Elsa stood in the center of the room, face slightly reddened to match her violently red ball gown and the splotch on her bandage. A young man, Gerrik recognized him as one of the suitors from the balls, stood several feet from her. He had been facing away, and his back was still turned. The youth had fear in his eyes and without thinking Gerrik lowered the tip of his sword.

He felt like he should demand "What is going on here?" But. . . in just a moment he put the pieces together. The two cups of glog, Gerda's mirth and the seemingly obvious joke that he couldn't possibly get. The abject fear in this young man's eyes at having been caught in the Queen's bedchamber. He wasn't sure of the details, but he didn't have to be to know what was going on. And with that realization he also realized he might have overreacted slightly.

So he settled on carefully sheathing his sword and asking, "Your Majesty, all you alright?"

"Yes, I am. And as you can see, Gerrik, I'm not being attacked. The temporary lack of guards was. . . rather orchestrated," she added in explanation.

"I- I apologize, Your Majesty. I should have- um. . . " he started. "I should not have burst in." That much was true, but there was no way this played out without him discovering the young man here, the _Prince_ if he wasn't mistaken. She had asked for him specifically to bring the glog back to this room. There was maybe a ten minute window in which he would have arrived. If she was going to try to slip her guards and. . . do this, how did she not expect that?

"True, you shouldn't have, but I'll take the blame for that mishap. I should not have lost my temper. This could have gone smoother, but it will be fine." She looked away from him and back at the youth. "Gerrik, earlier I asked if I could trust you. I have your word on that?"

Suddenly he felt a chill. Not a magical chill, no. At that moment the Queen was cold and calculating in a way that had nothing to do with her ice powers. It was his third encounter with this woman, the ruler he had sworn upon his life to protect and serve, but for the first time he saw through the barriers of status and of formal language and caught a glimpse of her cunning. Something akin to awe ran through him. If Gerda had her finger on the pulse of the castle, Elsa was the heart that pumped it. It was by her whim that things moved. She had the _power_. It was no accident that he had interrupted this escapade just as he did. Gerrik wasn't sure what was going on or why, but he was certain she had played every piece in this little game to her advantage, including himself.

All that happened at the speed of thought though. It took him but a moment to reply, "Yes, Your Majesty." A tremor crept into his voice, a byproduct of being a small pawn on a large board.

"Good. Escort Prince Oakir to the guest wing. Make sure no one sees him leaving my quarters, even the other guards. Then have Gerda come up with more glog. And, of course, tell no one of this."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" He looked at the young man. If he needed a grip on the Prince's arm to get him out, he wouldn't be hesitant to do so. But the intruder took one last look at Queen Elsa before leaving the room on his own.

They marched down the hallway, past Fornol's abandoned post and through the small servant's stairwell that led directly to the grounds.

"Stay here," he said as he opened the door outside and too a glance. There was no one nearby. "Alright, go."

They tried to walk unobtrusively, like a Prince and an attendant, but Gerrik stayed just a tad closer than a servant usually would. They headed towards the guest wing. As they went the guard noticed how defeated the younger man was.

They entered the castle proper and he felt stirred enough to breach the silence. "So, what was that about, anyway?"

Prince Oakir turned away slightly. "I was concerned for the Queen, and wanted to see her. When the matron Gerda would not allow me to see the Queen. . . well, she implied that I shouldn't let that stop me from trying, and I went and found another way to see her. I threw rocks at her balcony window until she and the Princess took notice and things just worked from there."

"The Princess _and_ the Queen were in on it," he said with more than a bit of relief. That was acceptable. If he had failed due to sheer ineptitude, that would have been a fuck up worthy of resigning. But their defenses hadn't been pierced so much as dismantled. He had been considering how he might word his resignation or even handle his dismissal if things came to that, although Elsa had in fact implied that she wanted nothing of the sort.

"Yeah. But Elsa didn't see it favorably."

"I don't either."

"Fuck you," he said just as casually. Gerrik's head snapped towards the young man, but he was beyond acknowledging much of anything as he looked at an angle towards the ground with absent eyes.

They continued on to the guest wing. When the reached it Gerrik saluted and said, "Prince Oakir." At least it earned him a turned head. Then the Prince was walking away.

"Son. . . I'd almost envy you," Gerrik said as Prince Oakir rounded a corner. Then he remembered the chill he got when he figured out he was a mechanism in some larger game that he was blind to and said, "Eh, maybe not."


	7. I'm Still Here

**Chapter Seven: I'm Still Here  
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When Gerrik returned to the Queen's chambers she was sitting at a table she had near the balcony window. He had knocked and she'd permitted his entrance and all that. But he was not alone. He delivered the two fresh cups of glog and set them on the table for her as she absently looked out the window, and his companion said, "You know, I didn't expect him to actually do it."

The Queen turned to Gerda.

"Do what?"

"Sneak in. I figured he'd think about it, I didn't believe he would succeed."

Elsa's eye narrowed. "So you did arrange that."

"Arranged it? No. Implied it. . . maybe."

"You _did_ put the idea in his head. Now I can't blame him for being stupid and shortsighted, only gullible. And that's not exactly a capital crime. Heavens know the royal family is prone to that vice." Gerrik had been unobtrusively leaving the room when the Queen added, "Sir." He turned at attention. Her clear blue eyes were so at odds with the scarlet of her dress. "Be at ease and sit down, please." He couldn't really do much about the first part, but as for the second he did as he was commanded. "Gerda, do you have any business here besides sowing discontent and undermining my resolve?"

She snorted, "Nope. I'm sure your bandages are fine," and left.

"What's the word in the barracks today?" Elsa asked, turning to Gerrik.

"Well, it's not today, but that man who was ranting by the docks was arrested in the market square. I hear it wasn't pretty, but not much more as far as details go."

"I heard that already. I asked Captain Kahv about it, and then met with Captain Herald to discuss his methods." She paused for a moment to think, then said, "Gerrik, you have earned my trust. Not many people have it, and because of that I'm at a loss when it comes to dealing with some of the nobility and the officials of Arendelle who should deserve it but don't. I'm finding that those under me often have plans and motives of their own. It's unsettling. I'm not making any promises, but if I were to appoint you as Captain of the City Guard what would you do?"

His throat constricted. Was she serious? "I- I'm not sure, Your Majesty. I would, er, try to handle the position to the best of my ability." What would he have to _do_ as a guard captain? Write up patrols, appoint and monitor sergeants, handle all the problems that the men get into. On good days the Guard runs itself. On bad days. . . . "To be honest, Your Majesty, I don't envy Captain Harold. The discontent in the city is going to require increasingly difficult decisions if it grows into something more."

"Is there any indication that the situation might do so soon?"

"Not that I am aware of, no."

"Good. I have High Chancellor Urdea organizing the effort to get food where it's needed, hopefully that will buy us some time." She noticed his posture. "You can relax, Gerrik. I don't bite much. Have some warm glog, it's got to be freezing in here for you."

He drank and tried to let the tension drain from his muscles. "The cold doesn't bother me, Your Majesty, but there's something that has been on my mind. May I speak frankly?"

"You may."

"It is the royal guard's duty to protect the royal family. In this time of turmoil, our methods of doing so need constant revision. I believe that's why Captain Khav has increased the patrols and the royal wing has more of us than usual. With this in mind, it would be useful to know how your magic figures into your protection from danger."

"I see." Elsa was suddenly visibly less confident. She picked at the edges of the bandage on her arm. "I'm not sure where you're going with this, however."

"Well, I noticed earlier, when I- uh, interrupted, that in my split-second assessment of the situation the first concern that ran though my mind was if the stress was going to affect you and your magic. If there had been an attack and a real fight, would your guards be in danger of your ice? Could your ice in fact protect you more effectively than a sword in a uniform such as I? We can't be with you all the time, but your magic will always be there."

"Gerrik," the Queen said, not looking him in the eye. "I believe you are suggesting that I use my powers to harm and destroy rather than create. This isn't a concept I find appealing."

"It's not a pleasant topic, no. But I'm not just talking about harnessing it for war, I'm also talking about venting and controlling it's use. Let's continue with the hypothetical attack on you. I burst in here and engage the attacker. What happens to you while I fight? Does the situation trigger your powers?"

She was looking him in the eyes now, and Gerrik saw a touch of softness on her otherwise tightly controlled features. "How do you know so much about this, Sir?"

"Your Majesty, it's become rather well known that when you feel a strong emotion the magic comes closer to the surface. And a fight is the kind of situation where emotions flare. If anyone attacks you, they will likely take this into account. It would put your guard at a disadvantage if we are not properly prepared for these eventualities and your attacker is."

"So what should I do then, if I'm attacked? I don't want to hurt anyone. I've been trying not to for so long, I don't think I could bring myself to intentionally." She shivered then, something he had never seen and that seemed profoundly unnatural for some reason. Maybe it was because Gerrik knew it wasn't the chill in the air that was getting to her.

"Are you alright, Your Majesty?" She nodded dismissively. "How is your arm? It really does need a fresh bandage."

"Yes, I know. I'll need to call Gerda back soon. Hopefully she won't be as flippant as she was a few minutes ago."

"Heh. That's unlikely." That coaxed a chuckle from the Queen. For a moment he stopped to wonder at the fact that he had just made Elsa, the magical Snow Queen of Arendelle, chuckle. It almost made him forget what he had been talking about. "Your Majesty, I'm sorry that this isn't a pleasant subject. But if you put some thought into how you should react to a situation like the ones I've mentioned, you are that much more likely to react correctly if they ever happen. Preparation prevents accidents."

"When Prince Hans and the Weselton guards attacked me in my ice castle, I almost killed one of them," she blurted out. Gerrik sat there in silence for a moment, then the Queen slumped forward like her shoulders coundn't hold themselves up anymore and she put her face in her hands. "I had a wall of ice between him and I. I pushed him up against the ledge of my balcony, and I was going to kill him."

"But you didn't."

"No, I didn't. I didn't because Hans fucking Westergaard came in just then. He saw that I had disabled the two of my attackers and called out, 'don't be the monster they fear you are.'"

"Elsa, that's bullshit."

She looked at him. "What?"

"That's complete bullshit. I don't know what Hans was playing at, but if someone is trying to harm someone else, the second person has the right to harm them back in defense. If they are trying to kill, they can kill in defense. It's not pretty or fun, but when it's either you or someone else and lives are on the line, it's always better if it's them on the funeral pyre. If they started it and are attacking you and trying to kill you, then they clearly aren't going to let moral niceties get in the way. Neither should you. I don't know what his game was, but you should know that what he said was absolute bullshit."

She looked like she was going to respond to that, but then she didn't and put her face in her hands again. He saw the red blood from her cut starting to collect at the edge of the linens and run down her arm. The Queen didn't seem to notice.

"Your Majesty, I have dressed wounds before. If you're not feeling up to dealing with that woman, well, I couldn't blame you there. But it really does need attention. I can change that bandage for you."

* * *

><p>Elsa was not in a fit state. She'd thought today was going to be a day to relax, but with Gerda conspiring and Oakir being foolish and her own maneuvering through the events as best as she could while they unfolded she'd been more active than her usual meetings and paperwork. She didn't want to put up with her matron, familiar almost to the point of insolence. But her wound did need tending to, and soon.<p>

She laid bare her arm on the table, leaned back into her chair, and closed her eyes. She'd seen it already, she didn't want to again. "Go ahead."

The Queen heard him move his chair over and only the lightest of touches indicated he was removing the linen wraps. Elsa felt herself melting into her chair, even the harsh support of the wooden back had an appeal in her fatigue.

"Ugh. . . I just, I want a moment to be _real_. To not have to be the immaculate Queen for once. But even then, Ragnvaldr was a mistake. I shouldn't have risked so much like that. And Oakir, pfft. When we got too close it scared him off."

Elsa was thinking out loud. She didn't let herself do that much. But this guard whose fingers brushed along her fresh wounds as he tended to her, he had already seen enough to piece things together himself if he had a mind to. She was banking on his loyalty, and that was why she was so easily able to let her words wander where they would.

But then. . . she wasn't considering him as a person anymore, was she? She was considering if he was a threat or not, and that wasn't the whole picture. He was very much a man.

Since when did she talk about these kinds of things so frankly? It certainly wasn't polite conversation.

"I need somewhere where I can just not worry. Not worry about saying the wrong thing or making a mistake. Somewhere to get back on my feet."

"Uh, Your Majesty," Gerrik started as he secured the new linens by tucking the end into itself. "This _is_ your bedchamber. Where else would that place be but here?"

"My ice palace," she quipped.

"Well, we can't do much about how you feel, Your Majesty. But I assure you your guard goes to extraordinary lengths to give you a space to call yours." Gerrik stood and said, "If that is all, Your Majesty."

"No!" she said, then realized her urgency was rather unneeded. "I- I'm sorry. I know how much time and effort the Royal Guard goes through for me. What I said. . . it was thoughtless."

"My Queen, it's an honor to serve," he said with a bow.

"And thank you. For the- for my arm. And for listening."

"Of course, Your Majesty. If there's nothing else," he said as he made for the door.

He didn't get halfway there before there was a knock.

"Elsa? Is it okay to come in?"

"Yes, it's fine. Come in Anna."

"Just wanted to make sure. It would have been awkward if Oakir was still- Oh. Hello," she said as she almost walked into Gerrik. "You're. . . not the guy that was in here when I left."

Elsa put her face in her hands. "Anna, you know Gerrik, of the Royal Guard. He is how Prince Oakir managed to get out of here without causing a whole mess of trouble for everyone."

"Oh." She smiled and gave him a little wave that was just perfectly Anna. "Hey. Thanks for that."

"Not a problem. She," Gerrik said, pointing his thumb back over his shoulder at Elsa, "asks for our help instead of trying to run circles around us all the time."

Anna's face went white. "You know about that? I- I mean, I don't know what you're talking about."

Elsa stiffed a giggle and said, "It's okay, Anna. Gerrik, stop torturing my sister and get back to your post."

She hoped he didn't take her words as having any venom in them, and when he turned and bowed again there was a smile on his lips.

The door shut and Anna turned from him back to her, a look of puzzlement on her face.

"Okay, now I'm confused."

"About what?"

"I-" Anna looked back at the door, then at her. "Do you- I don't even know what's happening anymore. How is your arm?"

"It's fine."

"Gerda changed your bandages?" she asked, noticing the lack of blood.

"No, she was being. . . flippant."

"Gerda? No!" Anna said, rolling her eyes.

Elsa snorted. "So I had Gerrik attend to it." Her sisters eyes shot back to her at that. "He's seen worse than this, I'm sure."

"_Elsa_," Anna said in a hushed voice. "Do you. . . like him?" There was a mix of emotions on her face; conspiratorial glee, the kind of scandalous joy that only a juicy morsel of gossip can evoke in a person, and a bit of concern.

"I- what? No! I'm courting with Oakir." Anna accepted that without hesitation, but Elsa herself didn't. Her sister's eye lit up again when, in the smallest voice she could muster, she continued, "Maybe a little."

"Oh my God, Elsa!" Anna said excitedly. But she flipped to concern almost immediately. "But what about Oakir?"

"What about Oakir? It's not like I'm on track to _marry_ him, or anything." She let herself collapse forward onto the table, head cradled in her arms. "I don't know, Anna. I'm so confused right now."

"Oh, it'll be okay, Elsa." Her sister came over and sat next to her, a hand finding her overburdened shoulder to rub it reassuringly. "Let's try to work through it. What happened with Oakir when I left?"

"We- we apologized, but I wasn't happy with the whole sneaking up here thing. I told you why we need to be careful with this kind of stuff, and then he goes and pulls this shit. I wasn't going to let him off the hook for that."

"But it was so romantic, Elsa. He threw rocks at your balcony window."

"He hit me with one of those rocks!" she retorted, her hand going to the light bruise just under where her collarbone met the ball of her shoulder. "I'm the Queen, Anna, I don't have time for romantic bullshit. And practicality should be foremost on the mind of _the future king_. If it isn't then he shouldn't be king, should he?"

Anna looked at her with an expression of pure sadness. It took her a moment to find her words.

"Elsa. . . I'm sorry that you have to put so much before yourself. You're right. He shouldn't have tried that, and I shouldn't have helped him get in." She looked away. "You know, I don't think I've ever acknowledged it out loud, but thank you for making Kristoff the Royal Ice Harvester or whatever. If I had to go through what you're going through. . . I don't think I'd be able to. The world keeps asking you to be something, Elsa. Something that I sure as hell wouldn't be able to be."

"How can they ask me to change? Urdea, Seth, Uther, Teon, they're all the ones that stay the same. With all of these new feelings and responsibilities, I couldn't be the same person as I was two weeks ago even if I wanted to."

"So, Elsa, do you _want_ to be with Oakir?"

The Queen took a breath. Her eyes caught on the door and her mind on the Royal Guard that had recently stepped through it. "My body wants to be with a man. It's not picky on that front." She thought of the prince that she knew was waiting on her every word. "My mind wants to be with a King. I don't even know where to go looking for one of those. My heart. . . I don't think my heart is interested in this foolishness, to be honest. I only just got my sister back after so many years." Elsa looked at Anna and smiled. "I don't think there's enough room yet. Thanks for talking, though." She turned for a hug. "I needed it."

"Any time, Elsa."

* * *

><p>Both of them tensed when they heard a commotion outside. After a moment there was another knock.<p>

"Your Majesty?" Elsa heard Gerrik call through the door. "I know Gerda said for you to rest today, but it's the Council Scribe. He says it's urgent."

"Yes, let him in Gerrik."

The door opened and Greg entered, garbed in a full-length cowl and looking nothing short of a monk.

"Your Majesty. Princess," he said as he bowed quickly. "There's been developments with The Southern Isles. Lord Uther and General Seth of Ra have called the council together."

They both rose, then Elsa turned to Anna. Surprised, she asked, "Do you want to go? This is the sort of thing that is horribly tense and frustrating."

"I'm going."

Elsa bit her lip. "This isn't a time for rash actions. I need you to promise me not to offend any of the council members, Anna."

"Why would I do that?"

"Heh. Because they can be supremely aggravating. Greg, is it in the usual council chambers?"

"No, Your Majesty. Apparently-"

"Lead first," she interrupted, making for the door.

"Captain Kahv insisted the meeting be held in his office in the Governance Wing. The messenger said it was for both reasons of time, in this time-sensitive situation, and security. I know Gerda insisted you were not to be disturbed, but-"

"No, you made the right decision, Greg."

He smiled at that. "I headed here as soon as I got the summons. The messenger wasn't pleased with that."

That didn't sit well with the Queen. They were only at the end of the Royal Wing corridor because Greg's age restricted his speed. Elsa said, "Gerrik, it would be prudent to have an escort. The Royal Wing will still have two guards without you. Come."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

It was a quick walk to the Governance Wing, where the Guard Captain and many of the other officials conducted their day-to-day affairs. It was a familiar walk, on the way they passed the Office of the Chamberlain where Elsa herself had been conducting her work recently.

The room was already occupied when they arrived, and heated voices spilled through the door.

"-but it _will_ allow us a fighting chance!"

"Please! A fighting chance? You're joking, right? We don't _have_ a fighting chance!"

"The first thing you do in war is you call the banners! Whether it will make a difference or not, all our forces will be in this city. There is no arguing that, Captain."

Elsa, Anna, Gerrik, and Greg entered. "General, Lord Uther, what is the situation, exactly?" the Queen asked, not acknowledging the argument she was interrupting.

"Your Majesty," said the room, all with bows. Seth of Ra answered, "The forces of the Southern Isles and Weselton have both set sail for Arendelle. Nokskov, Kiel, and Ereat are reported to be mobilizing as well. We haven't had an official deceleration of war so we don't know who is attacking and who is just getting jumpy from all the other countries' actions, but it's safe to assume the Southern Isles and Weselton aren't mad at Hamburg."

"Lord Uther?"

"It was through my contacts that we learned most of this, yes," he said, somewhat nervously.

"Good work. Now what I'd like to know is the diplomatic angle here."

"Er, I believe the Southern Isles has marriage agreements with both Nokskov and Ereat, Your Majesty. Weselton trades with all three. Thisted also has married a daughter to a Southern Isles boy, but we haven't heard of movement from there. None of these nations are very large or important, but that is little consolation."

"General Seth, assuming we can't somehow avoid this war, what is our best course of action?"

"Your Majesty, without a lot more men and ships and weapons, we _can't_ put up a fight. I say can't because we do not have the ability to. If these forces were at our shores now I would advise surrender. They outgun us, they outnumber us maybe eight to one, and with Weselton's wealth behind them they can outspend us."

"If I used my powers against them, would that level the field?"

There were a few gasps from around the room, and next to her Anna was one. "I- I doubt it, Your Majesty. Maybe if it was two- or three-to-one odds against us, it might turn the tide. I don't know how well your powers would translate into advantage for us, to be honest. I don't know enough about this magic you wield."

"Your Majesty," Chancellor Udrea said. "I don't think that would be a good idea. We're still recovering from the last summer snows. Even if your powers sent them running home, I'm not sure Arendelle would make it through intact. There would certainly be riots, maybe even organized rebellion in the provinces."

"Your concern is noted. Moving on, as far as allies go who can we count on to send help? Lord Uther?"

"Kvenland, Corona, Nogreaw. Maybe Fredrickstad and Hamburg. They will all need to be persuaded, committing to a war is not something they will do lightly. I believe," he turned to the General, "that Fredrickstad is the most valuable potential ally by far, due to their size and army."

"Chancellor, did you ever decide who Arendelle was to beg for food from? It will affect how willing they are to help us."

"I sent messages to Corona, Kvenland, Nokskov, Thisted, and Hamburg, Your Majesty. Nokskov was the first response, they said they would sell us as much food as we required at a discounted wholesale price. Corona and Kvenland pledged to send relief supplies and didn't mention repayment. Hamburg offered a deal similar to Nokskov's, and we have yet to hear back from Thisted."

"Nokskov?" Ser Teon asked. "They are currently gathering an army to kill us! And Thisted as well? Why would you send emissaries to the allies of our enemies?"

"I didn't know they were allies of the Southern Isles! We've had good relations with them both in the past!"

"Enough!" Elsa said. "Just once, I would wish for simple incompetence, then I would have reason to fire you all!" Else put her fingers to her temples and let some of her stress siphon off in the form of snow. She made sure it wasn't so bad that her Council would be cold, and she didn't let the silence stew for long. "General, how long do we have before they are at our borders?"

"A month, Your Majesty, and it would be a miracle of logistics and sailing if they managed that. More like forty-five, maybe fifty days."

"Get me a map of the Baltic and North Seas."

It was produced immediately. She saw how far away her enemies were, how far away her potential allies were, and did some mental calculations that could be wildly off since she didn't know anything about mobilizing armies. All she knew was roughly how long a voyage would take.

"Greg, draft up messages to Corona, Hamburg, Kvenland, Nogreaw, and Thisted asking for their aid against a Weselton-Southern Isles force. Lord Uther, figure out every ounce of diplomatic pressure we might be able to put on our enemies. I'm talking about the stuff we can guarantee, the stuff we can bluff about, the stuff they might try to use to coerce us; everything. I want it done yesterday. General, call the banners from the provinces and mobilize the fleet. I want you taking stock of our forces and thinking about all the places they are likely to attack, not just this castle. Assume that we have enough of a force to lend us a fighting chance and find the best places to engage. Also, who's your best naval Captain?"

"Captain Zissou, Your Majesty. He might not be fit for Royal company, he's got a sailor's mouth, but he's seen more combat than even the Commodore."

"Captain Kahv, find Captain Zissou and have him ready his ship for departure. Then arrange a suitable contingent from the Royal Guard. We're headed for Fredrickstad." Her Royal Guard Captain lept to her command. She looked around the table and without any explanation everyone knew what her mission was.

"Does anyone have any concerns about how we're handling this? Any ideas they would like to share? This is the last time we're going to assemble for a while."

There was a clear 'no' in the silence that followed. Elsa looked over and realized Anna had yet to say anything. "If you'll excuse me for just a moment, Counselors. Anna?"

Her sister rose and followed. Ser Gerrik pursued as well. They left the room and proceeded twenty feet down the hall before Elsa asked, "Anna, I've got a really serious question for you."

"Alright. What is it?"

"I'm leaving for Frekrickstad. Should I name you Queen Regent while I'm gone, or should I give power over to the High Chancellor?"

"I- I don't think I can do what you just did, Elsa. You were just so precise, so decisive. I can't do that. I wouldn't even know where to start."

"That's okay. You don't have to do that. Basically, you just have to make sure all the important decisions pass through you before they get put into action. I trust your judgement most. Lady Urdea has too much of an agenda to be a perfect choice in a heated time like this. But I'll hand her power if you think it's best. She's competent, if nothing else."

Anna looked uneasy still.

"Admittedly, you also have to defend against any ploys for the throne or other power plays."

"What do you mean?"

"Lady Urdea and Ser Teon both lead factions that are vying for power. Make sure they don't try and use this turmoil as an opportunity. We have enough tension as it is without someone making a grab for more seats on the Council."

"Alright. I'll do it."

"Really?" Elsa asked, a bit surprised.

"Yes, really."

"Good. Thank you," she said, hugging her red-headed sister tightly. "I'm sorry _you_ have to do this now. It's not fun."

"It's okay. So you said I have to make sure all the important decisions pass through me. Well, I guess making sure people check with me first is it's own thing, but how do I know which decisions are 'important'?"

"That's a great question. If you figure it out, you can teach me when I get back," the Queen said with a smile. That answer didn't seem to reassure Anna. "My best advice is to consult Lady Urdea, General Seth, and Bishop John on every important issue, even if the action seems obvious. Are you sure you still want to do this?"

At her sister's nod, Elsa led them back into Captain Kahv's office. It was a little funny that he was the only one not there, as he was busy fetching this Captain Zissou.

"I'm going to name Princess Anna as Queen Regent before I leave." There was a round of muttering at that. "That means you won't _call council meetings_ without her, for starters. Are we clear?"

That shut them up. Ser Teon made an attempt at explanation. "Your Majesty, Gerda insisted you were not to be disturbed. We were worried for your health, is all."

Elsa looked down and saw that her arm was bleeding through her bandages again, although it wasn't even close to what it had been earlier. With a shrug and a reference to her scarlet dress she said, "I'm fine. Dressed like this, it's practically an accessory."

With nothing more to address, Queen Elsa called the emergency Council meeting at an end.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>Chapter title based on "I'm Still Here" by John Reznik of The Goo Goo Dolls, recorded for Disney's Treasure Planet.


	8. The Emerald Glory

**Chapter Eight: The _Emerald Glory_  
><strong>

It was the afternoon, a few hours after the Council meeting and news of the impending war. Elsa was sitting at the table in her room, still dressed in her red ball gown. Anna was fretting about, trying to pick up where they had left off with the dresses earlier that day. Gerda had come up to bring food and change her bandages in the meantime and she'd been glad for it.

"Anna, I'll be fine. Don't worry about me."

The set of her sister's shoulders didn't relax a bit. "Are you sure you're going to be safe out there? You're the Queen. You shouldn't be outside the castle if a war is brewing."

"Anna, what did I say? I'll be fine. Seth raised the same concerns, I checked the maps over with him myself. Several times. Weselton is closest, so assuming they hear about my departure tomorrow it would take them at least five days to get there if they left right away. I'll only be at sea for three days. Once I arrive in Fredrickstad I'll-" Suddenly Elsa could hold her sister's gaze. "I'll betroth Prince Christian, ensure Fredrickstad's support, and be back here safe."

Anna didn't miss the hesitation. "Are you sure you want to do this? It's just so- ugh, this all just seems so callus. You should never have been put in this situation, Elsa. It's not fair."

"I know," the Queen said. It was without much real remorse, more wistful than anything. There were other paths she could see the course of her life going down. Ragnvaldr came to mind first (she considered later that perhaps this was odd), and the passion they had shared in the warm forge. And then Prince Oakir, who had been so sweet. . . a bit too sweet, but Elsa knew she was growing sweet on him in an entirely different manner. "I'm doing it anyway. I'm going to marry for Arendelle."

It wasn't an answer that sat right with her sister, Elsa could see it. But instead Anna asked, "Couldn't Lord Uther go to negotiate, then? Or I could. You need to be safe."

"No. Anna, a lot of lives are riding on this. If I go myself then it brings a certain formality to it. And, well," she said with a smirk, "I'm going to make it very difficult for him to tell me no." Thinking ahead to her mission and the unasked question of what they would do if she failed, the Queen lost her benevolent tone and continued, "Because I'm going to protect this kingdom no matter what it takes. With ice and blood, I will save it."

* * *

><p>"Remember what I told you and everything will be fine. And don't leave your guards, it's more important now than ever that you keep safe."<p>

"Same to you," Anna said. "Arendelle won't burn down while you're gone, I promise," she added with a bit of a smile.

"Good," Elsa said, smiling back. "I think the Captain wants to be off soon, though. I'd better get on board."

With one last hug, Elsa turned and walked up the gangplank and onto the flurry of activity that was the _Emerald Glory._

"Captain Zissou. It's a pleasure to meet you, I've heard good things."

"Aye, greetings! Now, I can't say I've ever had a Queen aboard, m'lady," the Captain greeted her. He only gave her a glance while he talked, not letting his attention stray from the rigging and the sailors hanging from it. "The_ Emerald Glory_'s the finest frigate ever to sail these seas, but she's not quite as pretty as she once was I'm sorry to say. But she'll have ye' safe where ye' need to go faster'n any other. HOY! Get that sail straight, we've got a tide to catch! I'm sorry, m'lady, but I've-"

He took off down the ship just as thick coil of rope fell from the foremost mast with a threatening _slap_. The Captain went off like a keg of gunpowder at the man responsible, up dozens of feet above him.

Elsa was flanked by two of her Royal Guard, Gerrik and a man named Fawkes, and behind them was Victoria. A girl not much younger than herself, she was accompanying as a lady-in-waiting at Gerda's insistence. There would have been a much larger entourage if the circumstances were different. As it stood it suited Elsa just fine.

She turned to Gerrik. "I'd like to watch as we cast off. Do either of you know your way around a ship?" The two men both nodded. Of course Kahv would have made sure the guard he appointed would be familiar with a ship. Admittedly, Elsa had asked for Gerrik specifically, but Captain Kahv would have brought it up if he wasn't a good pick for the journey. As she'd said, he was stupid and had his head screwed on wrong, but incompetence was not one of his vices. Elsa asked her guards, "Where would I be staying, most likely?"

They turned to each other, then Fawkes said, "The ship's Quartermaster would know. Should I go ask after him?"

"Yes." After he left, she asked Gerrik, "Are there any places in particular where I shouldn't go, to stay out of the way of the sailors?" The unsaid question was _'where I__ won't be killed by a falling rope?'_

"Er, no. Not really. But the closer to that railing, the more space they'll have. The problem with that is the closer you are to that railing, the more likely your guards will die of a heart attack, for fear of you going overboard."

"You should have thought of that before you got such a risky job, Gerrik," she said with a smirk as she came up along the railing facing the shore.

"Your Majesty, once we set sail Captain Zissou will see you are situated." It sounded like he was reassuring her. She didn't like it that he picked up how unnerved she was through her smile.

Looking over the wooden bannister Elsa saw Anna and Kristoff were there on the shore. They waved when they noticed her and she waved back. There wasn't any official fanfare because she was trying to be innocuous about this trip, but there were still people accompanying her sister and the Icemaster in seeing her off. A few members of the Council had come, namely High Chancellor Urdea, Bishop John, Lord Uther, and Governor Bisho. Those who were passing by noticed something was up, and many of them stopped upon seeing their Queen.

But the most difficult to see were her suitors. Many of them had come from around Europe, some for her Coronation and some since then as tales of her ice magic spread. There was, what, near sixty total? At least half of them stood on shore. It had taken less than a full day to supply the_ Emerald Glory_ and make the arrangements. In that time a fair number of her suitors had heard she was leaving for Fredrickstad. With the 'secret' that Arendelle might soon be at war spreading like wildfire, they'd put together why she was leaving, and what it might mean for their chances with her.

And standing there, surrounded by his brothers and the other men in pursuit of her hand, was Prince Oakir. The rest of the men around him raised a hand or otherwise tried to catch her eye. He just broke into a sad smile before turning and walking away.

That brief look caused a surge of cold air to suddenly shed from the Queen. Seeing Oakir's dark brown eyes, Elsa couldn't ignore what they might have been. He was sweet, and so unsure, and as understanding as a stupid, naive little boy could be. She knew she was abandoning any chance their love had. It twisted her once giddy stomach into knots.

With some intelligible shout the anchor was drawn up and the_ Emerald Glory_ cast off.

"Your Majesty?" Gerrik asked. "Are you alright?"

Elsa wasn't alright. Her magic was raging inside her, spurred by the sudden kick of emotion. But she was on the deck of a ship. A ship that she couldn't help but think of as a rather fragile wooden construct that allowed both her and its crew to pass quickly from one place to another. It didn't help that the mission she was embarking on was likely to decide the survival and sovereignty of Arendelle and couldn't afford any complications. Her magic was not a welcome factor here.

Her hands were on the railing. She felt ice beneath her bare fingers, but there was little she could do. The rest of Queen Elsa was focused on keeping a roiling glacier of magic inside herself.

But through all this she managed to say, "No, Gerrik. My magic is. . . unruly right now."

"Remember what I said about fighting? You're not being attacked right now, but the same thing applies. You need to find a way to use your powers. You need a healthy way to react to difficult situations."

"But I can't do anything _now_! Even if I didn't do something that breaks the ship, with all the sailors I'd be getting in somebody's way. Let alone the superstitions-"

"Ha!" Captain Zissou laughed, appearing with Fawkes and a man she didn't recognize. The sudden noise startled her, but putting her hands together she kept her magic inside. "M'lady, meaning no disrespect, but there's not much you could do to this ship." He rapped his knuckles on the banister. "She's got two feet of American live oak keeping her steady. She really is just about the sturdiest frigate this side of the Atlantic."

"Ah, Captain." The refuge of formality helped her a little. "That's good to hear, but nonetheless I was wondering if I could see my quarters now."

"Certainly." He started walking, then stopped. "But, er, I've been at sea for a month on a security detail to London, then Oslo, then back-"

"I know. The food that was aboard the merchant ships happens to be coming at a particularly opportune time, I assure you."

"Glad to help, M'lady. But I bring it up because only just recently have I heard these stories now about this ice magic. They were all a bit hard to believe. I'm not doubting the Queen, but would it be too much of this humble captain to ask if we could, uh, see the magic, M'lady?"

For a moment Elsa didn't respond. He _wanted _to see her magic? He didn't even seem incredulous, but rather he came off as genuinely curious. An answer was expected of her, so she had to hurry with a response. "This. . . is taking me a bit off guard, Captain. No one's actually asked to see my magic since . ." She almost said, "_since_ _Oakir"_. Had Oakir ever even asked about her magic? Elsa couldn't remember. "-since Anna."

The pressure that had been building behind her cerulean eyes was getting ever more difficult to restrain, so Elsa closed her eyes and wondered what she could do with it.

Like when she had made her second ice dress with Anna, everything just sort of came together at once. It could be called 'inspiration'. She raised her left palm, released magic onto it from her right hand with a flourish, and there in her hand was a little ice_ Emerald Glory_ floating on a turbulent sea of white snow.

With the release of her magic, Elsa felt the buildup melt away.

This was _her_ magic. She could control it. She couldn't keep it contained and bottled up forever, but she shouldn't need to either. From the look on the Captain's face, as well as Gerrik's and Fawkes's and Victoria's and the sailors stopped their work at the sight of the spectacle, it hit her that her magic was a source of awe more than fear. With careful use so that she didn't appear to threaten or endanger anyone she should never feel the need to suppress her magic.

That realization, the tacit acceptance of her power by those around her, made the Queen smile.

The Captain's words came back to her, but they were echoed by a young girl's. A restless young girl with scruffy red hair and a tendency to wake up her older sister at ungodly hours of the morning. "_Do the magic, do the magic!"_

As the feeling overwhelmed her, Elsa looked down at the intricate ship she had created with nothing but a thought and a few motions of her hands. In a instant her vision went blurry from tears and the sharp features of the model _Emerald Glory _lost their form as well. It melted away out of her control as Elsa lost herself in her own sea of warmth.

"Wha', where'd it go?" the Captain said, looking back up at her face like she'd just taken away his actual ship.

Elsa blinked her vision clear and smiled some more and lied, "I'm sorry, Captain. I can only keep it for so long. I'm afraid the rumors of my power might be a bit inflated." To offer some explanation as well as to find a place to shed her tears of joy without looking like an idiot, she put a hand to her stomach and continued, "Also, the sea isn't my ally, I'd like to see my quarters please."

"Of course! Me' apologies, where are me' manners, asking of a Queen. But, wow," he ran a hand through his hair and his eyes went wide. "You'll have to show me that again. That was amazing. I ain't never. . "

The Captain continued rambling as he led the Queen's entourage below decks, mentioning everything from how accurate her ice ship had been to the actual _Emerald Glory_ to all the places he had been in his life, and how he'd never seen such a sight.

"Here we are. Me' own quarters, M'lady. Finest on the ship. I insist. I had Quartermaster Mord arrange it for you. Now, I should really be makin' sure me' crew doesn't run us aground, but would ye' allow me the pleasure of sharing a dinner tonight?"

"Of course, Captain," Elsa said with another smile.

With a bow, he departed.

Looking around, Elsa saw that Victoria was already starting her own preparations of the room, and Gerrik and Fawkes weren't idle either. But whatever it was could wait. "Leave me, please. I'd like to be alone for a moment."

They all left, not before a salute from the guards and a curtsy from her lady-in-waiting. And as soon as they were gone Elsa sat down on the bed and hugged herself and cried.

So quiet it was barely real, she whispered, "They don't fear me."

* * *

><p>For dinner that night, Elsa decided to wear the new ice dress she'd designed with Anna. Had it only been the day before that she and her sister had ransacked her wardrobe, laughing and carefree? The news of almost certain imminent war with Weselton and The Southern Isles made such bright things seem so long ago.<p>

The dress was an icy blue, same as her first. And it was similarly daring in its cut. She kept the slit up to mid thigh, that was definitely staying. But in the style of the red ball gown she had worn the day before, she'd created it without sleeves. Elsa pulled the garment over her head and found that two wide strips of her ice fabric held the dress on her shoulders. This traded some of the exposed skin above her bosom for the freedom of her arms. But the change in how if fell also allowed for other alterations. The neckline had been low and shallow, almost a straight line across her chest from arm to arm. Now the dress fell steeply from her shoulders before coming to a sharp 'V' just above where her breasts met. Down her back plunged an even deeper line that almost reached the small of her back.

As a coy smile graced her reflection's face, for the first time in a long time Queen Elsa felt like a Queen. Victoria had been fretting over her for twenty minutes, but she stopped then.

Ready, Elsa stepped out. Victoria followed in a demure gown of Arendelle green and purple. Gerrik was standing to the left of her door. Fawkes was slouched on a barrel that called the passageway home, his back up against the wall and his arms crossed. But he jumped to attention immediately, and she spared only a raised eyebrow before they set off.

Elsa had found that the structure of the _Emerald Glory_ wasn't particularly complicated, at least as far as she was concerned just finding her way around. She was staying on the spar deck, which was the highest level of the ship that still had something to protect from the elements. This was called the spar deck. The captain's quarters were back at the stern of the spar deck, with a door halfway between the sides. Through the door and following the centerline ran a passage with doors and rooms on either side. But it wasn't a clear shot, interrupted as it was by masts and various methods of moving up to the outside and down to the gun deck, berth deck, and orlop deck, respectively. This nonlinear construction down the length of the spar deck led to odd spaces that could be used for storage, and so crates and barrels made the hallway feel a tad smaller than was comfortable.

Fawkes took point as they made their way down this passage, with Victoria and then Elsa in the middle and Gerrik behind. They made their way aft.

At the bow of the ship was another room. Elsa had been told by a messenger that's where Captain Zissou would be hosting her. Fawkes and Victoria stepped aside to let her knock and she heard movement from within.

The door opened. The Captain was on the other side, but behind him were at least three other men.

"Ah, M'lady. Ye' look dashing." He made a bow, then noticed the others with her. "Er, you brought your friend?"

"Indeed, Captain," Elsa replied with a smile. She noticed the singular and got that he was referring to Victoria, and only Victoria. She didn't bother to correct his assumption, instead finishing with, "I thought company would be enjoyable."

The Captain held the door wide to let her in, then turned to the others in the room and said, "Alright, Ser Roff, you're staying. Off with the rest of ye', unless yer bringing the food."

It didn't slip by the Queen's notice that the Captain was trying to even up the number of men and women. But in doing so, he tipped his hand. She'd already thought of this, with Fawkes and Gerrik there was no possibility of a romantic atmosphere. With a look back and a begging finger she bid them to follow her in as well.

She noticed that there were five sailors total in the officers quarters. All but two, the Captain and a ginger man who must be Ser Roff, filed out of the room with the prerequisite bows and otherwise a motley mix of reactions to the Queen. Some were stiff and formal to the point of being cold, others greeted her as warmly and casually as did their Captain.

Zissou clearly expected Gerrik and Fawkes to follow suit, because when they didn't he said, "Alright, men, ye' too."

"No." The Captain looked to her in surprise. Elsa held a calculated silence, her eyes piercing into his. It was just long enough that he started to fidget, but not long enough that he might actually come up with some reply. Then she let her features soften. "Meaning no offense, Captain, it's just that I've had a bit of a fear of sailing up until now. The sea hasn't treated my family well. Irrational as it is, well. . . I've been protected by the Royal Guard for most of my life now. I'd rather not lose that familiarity aboard a ship out at sea."

"I- Yes, of course. If it please M'lady-"

"Your _Majesty_," Fawkes corrected. She briefly wondered how much the Captain's infomality must have irked him.

"A-_ghem,_" Elsa coughed, with the exact same tone he'd just used with the Captain. She turned back to Zissou, "And please, call me Elsa. You have no idea how rare a pleasure it is to get away from the trappings of Court for once. It's always titles, titles. Shall we sit?"

With a bit of caution, having just been jumped on twice for saying the wrong thing, the Captain said, "Yes, let's." He turned to the table. "Er, I don't know how we'll do that, though. I didn't prepare a table for even four, let alone six."

Elsa put her hand out in front of her, palm up, then raised it sharply. The small square table that had been in the middle of the room suddenly had an icy covering, with two of the sides extending significantly and sprouting a leg on each new corner for good measure.

Without further preamble, she sat at the head of the table, conjuring four ice chairs in a similar manner. Remembering the incident with her arm Elsa took a deep breath. All the sharp edges melted slightly to form rippling and uneven corners. They were rounded and blunted so she was willing to call it a success. It was the best she could do without putting more concentration into it than she was willing.

Opening her eyes again, she turned slightly and said, "Victoria, why don't you sit here?" Elsa indicated the chair to her left with a hand gesture that was both lazy and regal. In fact, the two are practically synonymous. This was to distract anyone who might be watching her eyes. She caught Fawkes in her gaze. Still admonished from speaking out of turn, she made it clear with a nod and a glance that he was sitting on her right. Gerrik, at least, she put a little faith in being able to handle himself with some grace.

As she'd predicted, Zissou made to sit at the head of the table across from her. Gerrik sat next to Fawkes, then Ser Roff sat in the last seat between Victoria and his Captain.

"I must say," Zissou said, "Yer magic is spectacular. It's a good thing I was wearing warm pants though. But still, I've never seen anything half as amazing."

"Or as useful," she added with a smile at him. "Thank you for taking an interest in it, that truly means a lot to me, Captain."

He bent down to look at the ice table, noticing the wavering pattern the melting had given it. "What's this here?"

Elsa raised her bandaged arm in explanation. Thankfully wasn't red for the first time in two days. "I thought, practical men that you are, that safety would be valued over beauty. Wouldn't want to sit in a chair that cuts you to pieces." She turned to Ser Roff and asked, "So, Roff- Er, it is Roff, right?"

"Roff is my last name, Your Majesty. You can call me Al."

"Al. How is life aboard the _Emerald Glory_, Al?"

"Well, the first week is always the best. After that anything not kept salted goes bad. Believe it or not, you _can_ get sick of salt pork, salt beef, salt vegetables and fish. And frankly I'd expect this voyage is going to be even better on account of dinning with a Queen. I'd raise a glass to you for it, but. . ."

Realizing what was missing, Captain Zissou said, "Shit, Sharp's not here with the food yet." Just as a quickly he looked to Elsa, guilt on his face.

Before he could start she said, "I don't give a fuck if you swear. To be honest, I was wondering where that mouth was that General Seth was telling me about."

The Captain laughed nervously at that. She caught Gerrik smirking. Elsa couldn't help but respond in kind.

"You are full of surprises, Elsa," Zissou said carefully. "Anyway, I told Sharp to have dinner brought up here. It shouldn't be too long. In the meantime, it's not often I break bread with a Queen so I brought out the good stuff." he reached behind him and almost slipped out of his ice chair, but came back with a bottle. He popped the cork and set the bottle on the ice table to let it breath. "Château, 1794."

"Château?" Elsa said, eyes widening. With a laugh she asked, "How much are we paying you, that you can afford Château? _I_ can't even afford Château."

"Oh, it was a gift I assure you. It's the same year the _Emerald__ Glory_ was commissioned. She wasn't mine then, hell she wasn't even built until the turn of the century and it's not a great year. But it's the sentiment that counts. I've got a merchant friend who lives in Paris. A few years ago while I escorted two ships of hers a rouge attacked us. Middle of the Baltic, no help for miles, I managed to stay between the _Merryweather_s and that shit-stained excuse for a ship. After two passes she realized she wasn't going to get near the merchants and her guns were barely ticklin' the _Emerald_ so sure as hell wasn't going to beat me. We made it to St. Petersburg just fine. When I got back to Antwerp and my friend's crews told her what had happened she gave me this," he hefted the bottle.

Elsa laughed a bit. "A heroic rescue, a wealthy French merchant, expensive wine. . . sounds like quite a memorable thanks. Al, have you heard him tell this story before?"

"I was there, in fact."

"But isn't the Captain leaving some parts out of his usual retelling?" she said knowingly, her eyes finding their way back to the Captain. If Elsa was right on her perceptions of him, a man like Zissou would find great pleasure in telling of his carnal triumphs with his men, whether real or imaginary.

The poor sailor couldn't hold a straight face. Next to the Captain, Gerrik was trying unsuccessfully to look like he was just resting his chin on his fist, when in reality he was almost biting his curled index finger in an attempt not to laugh. Victoria looked only a bit scandalized.

Al Roff might have said something eventually, but after a few seconds the Captain said, "Would ye' _like_ me to tell that part of the story, my Queen?" His tone was a mix of intrigue and daring.

Queen Elsa held his eye for a moment, her coy look daring him right back. It was as clear a signal as she could give in showing him she was onto his game. But she said, "My apologies, Captain. I'll stop poking fun." She conjured a glass of ice like she had the night she and Anna had entertained Kristoff and Ragnvaldr and held it out. "Shall we pour the wine?"

* * *

><p>That first evening on the ship went better than Elsa could have hoped. With all the careful social maneuvering, she'd put herself in the best position she could. All that was left to do was let things play out as they would. Captain Zissou and Al were free radicals, wild cards inhibited only by whatever propriety they felt like having at any given time. It was disconcerting, but also more than a little exciting. The fact that she saw the Captain's intentions a mile away and was able to navigate around them was fulfilling. It was something of a game, to glide into this social dance only to find she could spin circles around him. And what little morsels she learned of the life of a sailor were intriguing as well, on top of it all.<p>

Dinner was brought up by a portly man whom Zissou called "Sharp". He and another sailor hefted two plates each, piled with food. It was amazing how simultaneously gruff and awkwardly polite a person can be. Qhen Elsa asked what they were having he just grunted at her, but when he set one of the wide dishes in front of her he did so as delicate as a painter would place a single-hair brush on a canvas.

"Ah," the Queen responded. "Well, that sounds delicious, I don't think I've had it before."

That coaxed a snicker from Al and Gerrik, and Sharp earned himself a glare from the Captain. Taking the hint, the cook smoothed it over by saying something, "I didn' know 'ow many there'd be 'ere. I'll go bring up two more plates."

Looking down, it turned out the dinner was mutton and ham with boiled potatoes, a small cup of light brown sauce, and a biscuit. It wasn't her usual fare, but then again Elsa hadn't been having her usual fare since the castle larder had started being distributed out to the citizens.

Victoria caught her eye, and she noticed the other woman was looking at the food with a look that was less than pleased. Not wanting to offend, Elsa took a fork and knife and sawed off a bit of the mutton. It wasn't half bad.

Gerrik and Fawkes were digging in, Captain Zissou was trying to have table manners and failing, and Al looked like he was going to work sculpting the contents of his plate. First Al took his fork and mashed the soft potatoes, then he shredded the ham and mutton into strips and crumbled the biscuit before mixing his entire plate together and pouring the sauce over it. When he finally brought a fork to his mouth it had at least a little bit of everything.

Deciding it was interesting, Elsa did the same with her plate. It earned her a questioning look from Victoria that she ignored. Taking a bite of the concoction, she found it to be both savory and delicious. The odd mix of textures reminded her of a multi-layer apple pie she'd had at the ball after her coronation. It was good, particularly when she washed it down with Château.

Looking around the ice table at her guards and her lady-in-waiting and the Captain and sailor and the meal that they were all sharing, she remembered the thought she'd had earlier that day.

_They don't fear me._

Elsa smiled.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>Three thoughts:

Someone mentioned the character in a review so I wanted to give some info, general Seth of Ra is a reference to Sethra Lavode. Also known as the Enchantress of Dzur Mountain, she's a sorceress, vampire, man-eater, the wielder of the Great Weapon Iceflame, captain of The Lavodes, a masterful military strategist. . . yeah, she's a hoot. Read the Vlad Taltos novels by Steven Brust. They're really good. The best series I've ever read, in fact. I will never stop endorsing them.

Also, I'm taking some creative license with the_ Emerald Glory_. I believe Zissou mentions she is made of American live oak. She was called _President, _then _HMS President_. She was actually broken up is 1818, but fuck that. I reject your reality and substitute my own. You can look her up, though, if you want.

Lastly as far as references go, made two to _Game of Thrones_ this chapter. One to Daenerys Targaryen and another to the Iron Throne.


	9. A Frosting On The Bedding

**Chapter Nine: I Know Places  
><strong>

Elsa looked into the guard's eyes, confused as they were and with a deserved wariness about them, and threw caution to the wind. Her hand found the back of his neck at about the same time her mouth found the crest of his lips.

Gerrik didn't respond in the slightest.

She broke away, and the swift movement and her foggy head and the dim light of the_ Emerald Glory_'s cabin left her a bit disoriented. She wasn't quite sure where she thought she'd been, maybe an unused parlor in the castle or a warm forge or the welcoming, familiar folds of her own bedchamber blankets. It was a few hours and a few glasses of wine after the dinner she had enjoyed with Captain Zissou, and it was a bit easier than she'd thought to lose track of events. But the Royal Guard in her arms was her focus, and thankfully he spared her from having to find her words and ask what was wrong.

"Shit. I'm headed for the gallows, aren't I?" Gerrik closed his eyes and put his palms to them, every bit a man perturbed.

Finally Elsa did find her words. "What?" Then, "Oh Jesus and Thor. I'm sorry, Gerrik. That was. . . really stupid of me." Very, very late, she untangled her arms from around his neck and put some space between their bodies. "I shouldn't have. . . oh shit what have I done."

"No, I- Your Majesty, it's just that. . ." Gerrik was at a lose for words himself, but eventually managed, "I'm not a half-bad guard, Your Majesty, and. . . I just really don't want to be tried for treason. And there's no way I'm getting out of that, is there? Every instinct I have as your guard says that I shouldn't let anyone as close to you as I am now, but at the same time you're the Queen and if there's something you want. . . and not to mention if you feel like it you can just-" he snapped his fingers, "and I'll be through."

Elsa's mind was fairly foggy, but she managed to follow his line of thought and said, "Psshh, you think that's bad? If anyone finds out about _me_, my country will go down in flames. Gerrik, I assure you as your Queen, you're going to be fine. I'm not going to call for your head, and I'll make sure anyone who does is out of power within a week, assuming mine isn't on a pike by then."

"What? I- thank you, Your Majesty."

For some reason she found that funny. "For the pardon or the kiss?"

He couldn't help but smile at that, and. . . _was that a blush on his cheeks?! _"I- I wouldn't let anyone put your head on a pike." _  
><em>

Elsa laughed a giddy huff in response, warmth flowering within her again. "Oh my god, I've definitely had too much to drink." The thought earned him a sideways glance. "Wait, how much did _you_ even drink? I know I had quite a bit, but I didn't think the Captain passed that Château around."

"He didn't, but we've been here talking about Arendelle and sipping on this bottle for quite some time now." He lifted said bottle and took another swig. "I don't know how much catching up I still have to do, though to be honest I wasn't keeping track either."

"Oh yes. We were talking. About Arendelle. You said you liked the mountains, before I. . ." She couldn't bring herself to say, _"Before I kissed you."_

"I did, and do. I have a question, though."

"Yes?"

"About a week after the Kingdom settled down, I was on guard duty above the castle gates. A certain Queen returned in the middle of the night, her hair disheveled and her temper on a sharp edge. Well, I wasn't about to be too familiar with the Queen at the time, but I've been curious ever since. What was that about?"

Elsa blushed furiously. "Well, if you must know. . . I kidnapped a blacksmith in the dead of night and had my way with him."

Gerrik laughed. "Oh really? And why do I find that hard to believe? You've been beating yourself up over just a. . . slip of the tongue?" At her quizzical look he quickly kissed his hand and she understood, her blush deepening.

"Arendelle men can be quite persuasive when they want to be, it's one of the things I like about my realm. What was it that Victoria had mentioned at dinner? She said she liked the flowers and the glog." The Queen furrowed her eyes. "I'm mad at her, but I don't remember why."

"Well if you can't remember then it's not very important, is it?"

Elsa continued in spite of that logic. "She said that during the freeze, our people were kept calm and warm. Arendelle was safe."

Gerrik's fingers went to his chin and Elsa tracked their motion like a hawk. She wanted them to go other places. "Yes, I remember that," he said.

"She. . . she didn't say his name, but it was Hans who did that. Hans kept my people safe during my freak blizzard and I can't even keep the peace when it's full summer."

Suddenly the Royal guard's hand moved from his chin to her shoulder. Elsa didn't flinch away from the contact, but it was a near thing. The cold fear that her magic would harm him and the warmth coiling in her stomach both flared, but the fear melted away as he spoke. "Elsa, don't think like that. You're here now on this voyage to Fredrickstad ready to marry some prince you've never met because you, Queen Elsa, are willing to do everything you can to protect Arendelle. Hans saw it as a prize, but you see your kingdom as the hard responsibility it is. You see that it's not a trophy to be won, it's a country to be led. I know that. Victoria knows that. _You know that._ And when everything is settled and Arendelle is safe, your people will know it too."

Elsa's breath caught a bit. The fingers resting lightly upon her shoulder were a source of a myriad of feelings. But looking around with a bit of panic she asked, "Where's Victoria now? She might come back and find us here."

"I believe she said she wanted to see what it was like above deck this time of night. Fawkes went with her."

"Oh _gods_, do you think they're doing what we're doing?"

Gerrik laughed. "Talking? Yes, I imagine they are."

"Oh yeah," Elsa said, suddenly blushing furiously herself. "I'm, uh, really sorry about earlier, I shouldn't have done what I did." And suddenly she couldn't help but laugh.

"There's that laugh again. What's so funny?" he asked.

"It's just that you thanked 'your majesty' for a kiss! Not only is it ridiculous to thank someone for a kiss, but you'd think after such a thing the two who shared it would be on a first-name basis."

Gerrik didn't seem to know how to respond to that. After a moment he sighed and asked, "So it looks like both of us would be in pretty big trouble if someone caught us right now."

"We would indeed. Loose lips sink ships all the damn time."

And then it happened again. Elsa caught his eye and found herself almost falling into them. She wanted to do it again. Her teeth found the flesh of her bottom lip as she remembered how she'd just done that and he'd completely shut down. It wasn't a good idea. Oh but she wanted to so badly. . .

"Then I guess we've both got everything to lose," Gerrik said, without breaking eye contact.

"We do indeed," Elsa said. Her fingers found his neck again.

This time he didn't freeze up when she pulled their lips together.

* * *

><p><strong>Mature Content Warning.<strong>

* * *

><p>Elsa couldn't help the shuddering breath that escaped her as she ran her hand across Gerrik's tunic. The danger was very real, but secluded here in the commandeered Captain's quarters they were free to do as they wished. Her guard's hand slid to her waistline and she relished the thrill of it.<p>

It took her but a moment to stand and pull her ice dress over her head. Standing there in nothing but her small clothes, her only regret was that she'd had to break the contact with the handsome royal guard that sat wide-eyed on the bed.

A different feeling hit her then, one as foreign as an Englishman. Gerrik _wanted_ her. She could see it plainly on his face. He lusted for her. And she knew with the tingling and the wetness between her legs that she lusted just the same. The young queen was tempted to tempt a little longer, to play with this new sense of power as Gerrik's eyes raked over her body, but she knew his body had more than eyes to play with.

"Well?" She asked with a coy eyebrow as she sat on the bed herself. "Isn't it your turn?"

Her guard lept to her suggestion, and as he started fumbling with his breeches he somehow thought a fit response would be, "I can't believe this is really happening." It was low, though, so he probably didn't mean to think aloud. It was followed by something that had 'queen' in it. That just made Elsa smile as the rippling expanses of lean muscle on the royal guard she was taking to bed fanned her passion.

Then his breeches were off and he started to pull his tunic over his head. She caught a tantalizing glimpse of his hard manhood before he immediately lost balance and fell backwards onto the bed next to her in a tangle. Before he could free himself from his clothes she took the opportunity to pounce.

Woah.

Elsa had hopped onto Gerrik playfully, trying to make it more difficult for him to untangle himself from his tunic. She hadn't planned on how her nether regions would settle across his member, only her smallclothes between them.

It. Felt. Amazing.

Without thought, Elsa rolled her hips. Her sex rubbed against his so enticingly that it was difficult not to get lost in the feeling, and for once she didn't particularly mind losing herself. She rolled again and this time a moan accompanied the motion. Gerrik was hard beneath her and it created a friction along her sensitive folds that was unrivaled, not even by her brief tryst with the blacksmith. She'd laid almost flat along his body to try to pin him, so he poked up between her thighs. She shifted down along him so he ran firmly across her intimacy.

"Elsa. . ."

Her name drifted up from the crumbled tunic still partly wrapped around Gerrik's head. She assumed he was moaning her name and continued slowly rutting against him, but then he continued.

"Elsa, I- I can't think straight long enough to get out of this if you keep aagggggghhh"

She slid herself along him once more for good measure, then rolled off him quickly. By the time he was finally free of his tunic his Queen was finally free of her smallclothes. He looked at her and she was atop him again immediately.

This time she felt him right on her entrance. He gasped. Whether it was from the feeling or the shock that she would jump straight to that she never knew. All Elsa knew was that she was ready. She rested her opening right on the head of his member and reached down to align them before sliding herself down his length.

As he pressed into the lips of her sex, there was suddenly pain. "Ah!" she called out sharply. He was barely inside her and since she froze immediately it wasn't much, but she hadn't expected pain.

"Shit," Gerrik said quietly. "You're- well I mean of course you're a maiden, you're. . ."

He made to move but that caused another pain and she hissed, "Do. Not. Move."

For a moment they were still. The sting was followed by an ache inside her,

"Elsa, the opening is a bit small around the entrance. When I go in further it stretches and tears the entrance of your womanhood."

The Queen had her eyes tightly shut, and otherwise they were very carefully still. "That's silly. Men and women do this all the time, as evidenced by all the children in the world. No woman would do this if she's ripped open in the process."

"Well, only a maiden goes through this. Then the flesh is opened and the woman can enjoy the lovemaking."

Her passion was burning low now, but by no means was it out. "Ridiculous. If we just. . ." She still held his member with her guiding hand, and where she was damp he felt dry. Instead of trying to press in, she ran the tip of him through her lips again. Elsa couldn't help but shiver.

"Oh! That's cold, Elsa!"

The sensation had made a bit of her frost form at her hands, but the way she was feeling it took no effort to thaw it away and get back to what she was doing.

He was a bit slicker now with her juices, and very hard. She let go of him and put both her hands down on the bed to either side of his chest. She couldn't angle him, but she could still very precisely rub herself against him. He was ridged around the head of his member and as she rolled her hips again it pulled lightly through her delicate folds.

The heat that had suffused her cheeks had spread wildly now, inflaming her breasts and thighs and upper arms and all of her neck, she could feel it. And every touch across Gerrick's manhood stoked the fuel. And that flame started to pool where her sex met his. The muscles in her abdomen tightened, and she knew she was ready to try again.

She arched her back a little higher and they came closer to aligning again. His manhood caught at her opening instead of raking over it and titillating the coals of her passion. It wasn't quite right but it was closer to what they'd had earlier so she pushed herself up off her hands so that she stood above him on her knees. His eager sword found her sheath immediately this time, but as she pressed down and he pressed up it hurt again. She hissed in pain.

"No, you don't push. Let me." And he was still once more.

That was all it took. With his pole erect beneath her, in a minute she had carefully slid the head of his member inside her. It ached a bit, but there was no sharp ripping. Then, slowly so that it didn't hurt, Elsa leaned forward and her hands found the bed again. Then she took a little more inside her. The head had been the widest part, so it didn't hurt nearly as much. She kept going.

Each inch pushed the ridge of the head across tender and previously unexplored area. The passion that had been pooling inside Elsa was now an ocean somehow being held back by a very small dam, and she could tell that dam was close to giving way. That was it. She didn't know what would happen when that wave hit, it certainly felt different from what little she had done previously, but she knew that was what she was after. That was what the blush on her cheeks and the tingling on her skin had promised. She didn't know what it was, but she was ready to find out.

* * *

><p>As the heat of their midnight passion subsided, Elsa pressed her shoulders back against the broad chest of her lover. She felt the slight chill of a frosting on the bedding, a bit of ice she had conjured without noticing. It was steaming away quickly, but in that moment the harmless expression of her magic was perfect.<p>

Soon she could hear Gerrik's soft snores behind her. She knew that the _Emerald Glory_ would be reaching Fredrickstad any day. Soon she there would be negotiations, ones that would decide the fate of Arendelle. She would almost certainly have to offer her hand in marriage.

But as she snuggled into the warm embrace of her lover, Elsa couldn't help but let those worries slip from her mind.

The next morning wasn't so kind.

* * *

><p><strong>AN<strong>: This story is not updated regularly.


	10. Sea Turtles

** Chapter Ten: Sea Turtles  
><strong>

The _Emerald Glory_ lurched. Elsa found herself suddenly entangled in the bedding, and she freed herself just in time to see Gerrik pulling himself off the floor where he'd been thrown. Faster than she could think he'd found his belt from where it had been cast the night before and with a _shing_ and a faint glimmer she knew he was armed.

The door burst open.

"Your Majesty, we're under attack! Quickly-"

It was Ser Al Roff, from the dinner the previous night. Gerrik stayed his blade. The sailor's words caught in his throat at the sight of them, Gerrik naked with a sword in hand and Elsa similarly disrobed in bed.

The moment to act was then. Elsa drew up her magic, picturing an icicle in her mind.

She redirected the magic at the last moment. Instead of spearing the man through the chest, a gust of arctic wind blasted the door shut again. Then Elsa vaulted out of the bed, heedless of both the men's eyes, and with a bit of concentration formed clothing around herself.

"Gerrik, dress. Quickly." With a deadly look she pinned Roff to the floor as effectively as any ice could. "You've just made a very powerful enemy, sailor. You will mention what you saw here to no one. Am I absolutely clear?"

Maybe it was the ice blast that had just shot passed him with centimeters to spare. Maybe the occasional _pop_ of musket and _boom_ of cannon fire stressed the urgency of the situation. Either way, Roff was sufficiently cowed. "Y- yes, Your Majesty."

"Who is attacking us?"

"I don't know, the Captain ordered and I came to fetch you immediately."

Gerrik had just fastened his breeches with his belt, scabbard at his side, blade again in hand. Without waiting for his tunic she said, "Roff, you lead. Gerrik, behind. Go!"

Just outside the door was a bit of water, washing back and forth across the deck as the _Emerald Glory_ lurched. Elsa wasn't sure just how bad a sign that was, but the three didn't stay long enough to contemplate it.

They saw a group of armed sailors rushing up onto deck, and then passed another two who ran below. When they reached the closest ladder Ser Roff scaled up onto the deck immediately. The slight but noticeable haze and acrid smell of gunpowder and a sudden shower of wooden splinters disinclined Elsa in following him up, but in just moments Captain Zissou was above the opening. She saw that in his hands was a pistol, and he didn't stop packing shot into it as he called down to her.

"Two ships, m'Lady! We thought they were pirates at first, but th' bastards are flying Southern Isles colors. Stay there, well away from the sides of the ship and we'll make short work of them!"

And then he was gone, shouting orders to the crew.

Elsa looked at Gerrik. He glanced back up the hole in the deck and shrugged. "Along the center line here is the safest place, Elsa." Almost without pause he added, "Your Majesty."

There was another quick series of _boom_s, and this time Elsa felt the _Emerald Glory_ shudder before rocking to one side. She quickly braced a hand against the wall to keep on her feet. Gerrik did the same, but he must have seen the brief flash of fear across Elsa's face because he said, "It's alright, Your Majesty. She'll sway back and forth, but you can tell we're fine because she'll right herself again. As long as we don't start listing to one side or the other we'll be fine."

A closer series of _boom_s indicated the _Emerald Glory _was returning fire. One of the two sailors that they had passed earlier ran back up and barely touched the ladder in his haste, a wild look in his eye and soaked from the waist down.

Another volley of cannon fire. It seemed off the mark, the _Emerald Glory_ barely shivering. Then they heard a sharp _crack!_ from above, and a second later a shout of, "The mast!"

Gerrik's eyes widened and suddenly he was lunging for her. He brought her to the floor and hunched his back as a second, lesser _crack_ gave way to the sound of splintering wood. Elsa figured it out only a second after him and freed one arm. As the mast came crashing down she threw up a shell of ice as strong as she could make it around them.

Suddenly the sounds of battle were that much quieter. Opening eyes that she realized she'd squeezed tightly shut, Elsa said, "We aren't dead."

Gerrik barked a short laugh. "Yeah, Odin's fucking beard, I guess we aren't."

"Huh. I never took you for a pagan," she laughed. Looking around, they were encased in a cramped half-sphere of ice. It was very clearly cracked, but it hadn't shattered and a bit of wavy light made it's way through the uneven ice to Elsa's right.

Slowly this time, the _Emerald Glory_ swayed to one side. It didn't sway back.

As the angle of the listing grew a bit steeper they heard the sound of wood being torn apart again, then abruptly the floorboards directly beneath them shifted. Above, the dome had a few more cracks and the light shone through from above as well as to Elsa's right.

"I think that's the mast above us," Gerrik said, moving his head vaguely to the shadowed area that was now more beside them than above them. "Can you get us out of this, er. . . without also letting it crush us?" The mirth that had been there moments before was now replaced with panic.

Elsa waved a hand. The ice grew thicker, and the light dimmer. She hadn't crushed them at least.

"I can't melt it." There was a touch of fear in her voice.

Before Gerrik could say anything, another volley of cannon fire hit. The mast slid again. The floorboards at the edge of the sphere to Elsa's left ripped down and away from them under the massive weight.

Mustering herself, Elsa looked back at Gerrik above her. She brought to her mind memories of the night before, of the feel of his bare body intertwined with hers, and waved her hand at the ice to her right again.

As her magic started to fade away, the cracks in the sphere around them quickly spread. She shot her palm out and the darkened areas solidified and thickened. In just a moment an opening formed where it should, the full cacophony of the battle returning once again.

Gerrik slide over and straightened to poke his head out, then swore and ducked back down.

"The ship is being taken."

"Did you see the Captain?"

"Yes, and a few others. It looks like he was coming this way but the boarding party stopped him. He's still fighting, but we are losing. We need to get you off this ship."

"No. Get out there and make sure no one gets close to me."

Gerrik hesitated but a moment before doing as he was ordered.

Elsa followed him up. The cannon fire was still going, pounding the port side to which the _Emerald Glory_ was already listing. On the deck, a group of about thirty men in the grey, black, and blue uniforms of the Southern Isles circled the remaining sailors of Arendelle. Still Captain Zissou fought on, never letting the enemy get close enough to finish them. Gerrik was between her and the boarders, blade drawn.

The Queen closed her eyes. With a sharp raise of both hands suddenly there were two long icebergs, one along each side of the ship as barriers to the cannon fire. She opened her eyes and the tall, thin things immediately rolled in the water and fell flat. The one to starboard fell towards the attacking ships with a splash that rose higher than its sails. The one to port loomed over them as it came down. Elsa tried to control it, but stymied its fall for only a moment before it crashed into the sea, clipping the side of their ship and sending chunks of ice sliding across the deck as it did.

The cannon fire from the ship to port started again. From the fallen ice, now a sheet across the water between them, Elsa grew another barricade. Shorter this time and thicker, it effectively kept the enemy ship from doing any more damage to the _Emerald Glory'_s hull. The ship to starboard was unfurling its sails and running.

By this time the sailors on deck had taken notice of Elsa's presence. Captain Zissou attacked to try to press the advantage her distraction caused, but the enemy were disciplined and held. At the same time one of the Southern Isles sailors, probably an officer as he was decorated with emblems and had a pistol in hand, quickly took four musket men from the circle and split off to face her.

The remains of the mast crumpled the deck to one side of the deck and left ripples and tears across the rest. With a sweeping, two-handed motion, streaks of ice shot over the uneven wood and erupted up as bristling spikes in front of the five men.

"Sailors of the Southern Isles! Yield, now!" she called out.

They had only been thrown off balance. The one with a pistol raised it as the others tried to level their muskets.

Elsa would never know if the decorated man's intentions were to capture her or simply end the war then and there by killing her. Gerrik vaulted on top of the ice she had made and lunged. As his sword struck the officer's chest, a white puff of smoke escaped the pistol.

Suddenly the ice spikes were much longer.

* * *

><p>The pain was all-consuming.<p>

For an unknowably long time, Elsa, Queen of Arendelle, was a vessel with no thoughts or deliberate actions. There was just the pain.

The first thing that pierced the tortured veil around her consciousness was her own voice. She was screaming, she could hear that much. And once she realized it she stopped. But the pain didn't go away.

Next Elsa realize her eyes were clenched shut and opened them.

She was on the deck of a ship. Her head was turned sideways, and a line of men in Southern Isles colors lay bound and face-down over there. The Queen looked up and saw a mast and sail, and the Arendelle flag at the top.

Someone stepped over her and it took an unusually long time for them to come into focus. It was Gerrik, his face etched with concern an highlighted with blood.

She hurt. She hurt a lot. Elsa looked down her length to see what was wrong and the sight nearly made her sick.

Just under her hip, the meat on the side of her left thigh had a chunk missing. Like the void left behind when one takes a scoop out of pudding. Blood welled up from the wound.

Elsa remembered the cut she'd gotten on her arm days before. Pressing both her hands to the injury, she vented all that she was feeling in the form of magic. Rough ice formed over the wound and it burned. She screamed through clenched teeth, but quickly arranged the ice into the ice cloth of her dress.

Ser Roff was there suddenly. He moved with quick, unsure motions. Before she knew what was happening he put a leather-bound stick between her teeth with one bloddy hand and raised her leg up with one another. The muffled noise that erupted from Elsa was terrifying, and the last thing she saw before clenching her eyes shut again was ice as it shot out across the wooden boards around her.

When Queen Elsa next opened her eyes Gerrik was above her, alternating between looking down at her in concern and warily look around them. Despite the pain, Elsa lifted her head and looked around as well. The dead were scattered about, sometimes rolling towards the port side with the listing of the ship. The exceptions were the five enemy sailors, held a meter off the ground by the spears of ice that had killed them.

Live Southern Isles prisoners were arranged on the deck a ways off, somehow in the turmoil her magic had caused the Captain must have turned the tables on them. Arendelle wounded were gathered closer, with Ser Roff darting from one to the next.

Captain Zissou stood amongst the chaos calling orders. He seemed to have wasted no time in assessing the state of the _Emerald Glory_, and a messenger was returning from below decks.

"Captain," the Queen heard the man shout over the continued cannon and musket fire. "We're taking on too much water. We're going down!"

"Son of eh grotesque mummer's pet monkey an' a Danish fucking whore! I'd feared as much from how far we're listing. Get all the men out o' there, I'll have no one drown until they're _off_ my ship!" The sailor took off again. Zissou looked at Elsa, then back at the advancing enemy before coming over and kneeling down to her right. "M'Lady, they're closing for another attack, we're sinking, and you're wounded. We can't lose you! I'm going to order the surrender."

Elsa grabbed the Captain by the shoulder and hauled herself up into a sitting position, which momentarily stopped him from acting on his plan. Of the two enemy ships, one was just coming around the ice barrier Elsa had erected between them. The other was naught to be seen. Elsa looked at the Southern Isles colors flying above the rigging as the advancing ship turned her guns towards the bow of the _Emerald Glory._

"Help me up," she commanded.

Gerrik was at her wounded side, and both he and the Captain started to protest. She reached out so that she gripped them both and pulled herself to her feet. Her left leg gave out immediately but she stayed up long enough for Gerrik to get his shoulder under her arm.

The sight of the enemy ship's colors fired her again. Letting go of the Captain with her right hand, she rose it in front of her and froze the water around the vessel. As careful as she could be not to puncture it, Elsa completely encased up to it's gundeck, but even then it was still able to move somewhat.

Then she froze the water underneath, essentially lifting the entire ship out of the water as the ice buoyed up from below. Elsa also made sure to also freeze a wide expanse around the disabled ship it so it wouldn't roll over like her ice walls had previously. Her powers had significantly different effects here at sea than they did on land due to how ice floated, but she was quick to learn.

"Alright," she said woozily, "Now you can put me down." Gently she found the deck again and lay back, exhausted. "Captain, can we take that ship?"

Her eyes had shut on their own, but she could hear well enough. "I- I've never boarded a ship that's on ice before, m'Lady, but-"

"Get us right up to the ice and I'll take care of the rest."

"Aye, m'Lady!" he said, and took off to give the necessary orders.

With the main mast in the center having taken down the smaller mast at the stern, and extensive damage and listing that made rowing impossible, the _Emerald Glory _limped through her final journey.

Elsa found herself looking around again. Here eyes caught on the dead men hanging from her icicles and she melted them. The bodies _flopped_ to the deck. The realization finally hit her that _this_ was what a war was like and she turned her head to vomit. It hit the boards in three short torrents before sliding down the slope of the listing ship. Only afterwards did she feel a twinge of shame.

Among those emerging from below decks was Victoria. She was disheveled and cradled her left arm, which angled oddly between her elbow and wrist. The front of her dress was soaked with blood. Immediately the nearest sailor led her to where the other wounded were being gathered and treated.

"Victoria, where is Fawkes?" she heard Gerrik ask.

Elsa wiped her mouth on the sleeve of her ice dress and turned. Victoria didn't say anything. But without words made it clear: Fawkes hadn't made it.

Some of the sailors had stopped at the sight of their Queen, prone, wounded, emptying her stomach where she lay. They were interrupted as they drew near to the Southern Isles ship because the sailors aboard opened fire with muskets, but with another look and a wave of her hand Elsa covered the gun ports and iced them up over the railing on deck.

The _Emerald Glory_ hit with a _thud_. "Gerrik, help me up again." This time he didn't protest and she leaned heavily on him as her leg gave out.

Elsa was the first onto the ice, carving out a crude set of stairs as she did. The Captain was close behind, then those still fit to fight. Each step was torture, but she pushed on. Thirty feet up and she was almost to the edge. Two men, one in the rigging and one in the crow's nest, took aim at her as she came into view. She didn't have the time or concentration to disable them. With a quick ice spear each, she killed them, their icy bodies falling to the deck amidst their comrades. Then she extended the ice again to unnerve the enemy, encasing the ship in a dome of thin ice with just the masts poking through. She made sure there was just a little bit light streaming through.

Finally, she grew icicles on the inside of this dome. The only indication from outside were dark spots that formed where the spikes lengthened.

Swiftly she punched a hole in the ice wall she'd created, the effort unbalancing her enough that Gerrik had to practically lift her from the ground. She found her feet again in just a moment.

"You attacked my ship," Elsa whispered.

Silence from the darkened cavern.

"You attacked my ship!"

Nothing but the sound of fear.

"I could kill you all now, but I'm feeling merciful. Your Captain will come out here and surrender or I'll close this back up and let you all freeze to death."

More silence.

"Wrong choice, Captain."

She started to grow ice across the opening she'd made.

"Wait!" she heard several voices call from inside.

"Best get out here quick!" she called, still slowly closing the ice.

The Southern Isles Captain emerged. He held a pistol. From below him a jut of ice sprang, encasing his arm.

"Drop the weapon and yield!"

He snarled and his hand loosened around the grip of the firearm. "Aye, ice witch, we surrender! And curse you for it!"

Zissou went to bind the man and pulled him out of the way so the sailors of the _Emerald Glory_ could board and took the crew for prisoners. Elsa quickly melted all of the ice above the deck to make it easier.

"What's your name?" the Queen asked the enemy Captain.

"Captain Hoarace Westergård of the Southern Isles."

"Westergaard?" she asked, not bothering to pronounce it correctly. "You're one of Prince Hans' brothers?"

"A cousin, ice witch."

She couldn't reach him herself, so she punched him in the face with a ball of ice. Elsa imagined it was much like how she'd seen her sister hit Hans. It hurt her leg to move so abruptly, but she didn't allow herself any sign of pain.

"Call me ice witch again and I'll fold you in half and freeze your cock to your chin, Captain Hoarace."

"She's not joking," Gerrik said from beside her. "I've seen her do it."

Hoarace Westergaard spat blood before saying, "Aye, of course Arendelle would torture prisoners. Common decency doesn't exist up north."

Captain Zissou finished binding him then. "To hell with common decency you attacked at night without warning, two on one, 'ye cowardly shit! You're nothing but the puddle of piss and vomit around any low life drunk in any back alley in Europe. You-"

He cut himself off and looked at Elsa. "May I?"

She grimaced. Then she thought of the rapidly sinking _Emerald Glory_, only temporarily above the waves because she'd frozen it into place. It struck her that she'd lost her maidenhead on that ship, and soon it would be at the bottom of the Baltic sea. Elsa nodded once and Captain Zissou punched Hoarace Westergaard in the gut.

Elsa held up a hand to Zissou after that. They were still on the ice next to the enemy ship, with the prisoners and wounded being brought up to their new ship. Zissou knew enough to turn the captured Captain so that he was sick away from everyone, then he swung his charge back around.

In a gentler voice, Elsa asked. "What are Southern Isles ships doing a month out from Southern Isles waters? This isn't even the route to Arendelle."

"We've got more allies than you realize."

Elsa thought about that a moment. "You're here to get Fredrickstad on your side."

He didn't respond, but Elsa was sure she was right.

* * *

><p>The ship's name turned out to be<em> <em>Seeking Suzanne's Luck<em>. _She was battered from the fight with the _Emerald Glory _and from being iced up out of the water, but she could still sail. Once the prisoners were contained below and Hoarace Westergaard was locked in the officer's quarters with two guards Captain Zissou allowed fifteen minutes to salvage as much as possible from the _Emerald Glory._

Then Queen Elsa melted the last of the ice and they set off in pursuit of the second ship, their sights set on Fredrickstad harbor.

Gerrik held her up long enough to watch as the one remaining mast of the _Emerald Glory_ sank beneath the waves of the Baltic Sea.


End file.
